October 7, 2022
A specialist employment agency aimed at aiding young people into jobs officially opened a shopfront in Kingaroy on Tuesday.
The Workforce Australia transition-to-work site in Alford Street is being run by yourtown, the operators of kidshelpline (1800-55-1800) and parentline (1300-30-1300).
The group’s history of working with children dates back to 1961 but it has been providing specialist youth employment services for more than 18 years.
Acting head of client services Jo Allen-Keeling told the crowd that turned up for the opening that yourtown was thrilled to now be delivering services to young people in Kingaroy via a Federal Government contract.
She said that although yourtown was new to the South Burnett community, the team was local and had experience delivering transition-to-work services.
Ms Allen-Keeling said young people had been involved in developing the service.
“They told us they want a safe service; they want a service that they can trust; they told us they want a service they feel good accessing; and they want a service that helps them develop and explore their possibilities to dream big and really chart their own unique path to employment,” she said.
She said yourtown provided “wrap-around” support, including professional mental health counselling available on site.
South Burnett mayor Brett Otto officially opened the service by “ringing the bell”; a bell is mounted on the office wall which is rung as a symbol of success when a young person gains employment.
Footnote: yourtown is possibly better known by its former name, BoysTown, which operated a residential school for boys under the direction of the De La Salle Brothers at Beaudesert until 2001.
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