Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon, Workskills Marketing Manager Rorie Auld, Workskills Employment Skills Trainer Martin Killick and Minister for State Growth, Matthew Groom at the Workskills Red Shed official opening

Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon, Workskills Marketing Manager Rorie Auld, Workskills Employment Skills Trainer Martin Killick and Minister for State Growth, Matthew Groom at the Workskills Red Shed official opening

Tasmania’s long-term unemployed are set to benefit from the relocation of the Workskills Red Shed – the home of their Construction and Manufacturing Labour Skills Course – to a bigger and better location in Chapel Street, Glenorchy.

The move was celebrated today with an official opening by the Minister for State Growth, the Honourable Matthew Groom, featuring an open day to showcase the new facility to industry stakeholders and the wider community.

Workskills is a long-established, local job services provider and the Workskills Red Shed Labour Skills Course teaches long-term unemployed Tasmanians the practical skills they need for building and associated trades, assisting them to enter the workforce.

Workskills General Manager, Janet Saunders, said the re-location of the Red Shed would give participants, volunteers, workers and supporters an opportunity to celebrate all that had been achieved over the last four years.

“The launch of our new premises is a culmination of all the hard work and dedication our fantastic staff, volunteers and trainees have put in to making the Red Shed so successful,” Ms Saunders said.

“It also allows us to open our doors and invite the community inside so they can see what we do first-hand.

“With Tasmania’s unemployment at an all-time high we have seen an increase in the amount of people coming to us for assistance in their search for ongoing employment, which has resulted in the need for a bigger premises.

“After many years at the Glenorchy Showgrounds complex, it is relieving to have secured a great new venue that is more in line with our current growing needs.

“We believe this facility will serve our requirements for many years to come and the new layout will improve our ability to provide the best possible environments for our course participants to learn and grow.”

Workskills began the Red Shed Labour Skills Course in 2010 and has seen over 250 participants progress through the program during this time, with graduates averaging full-time placement outcomes of 55 per cent.

Ms Saunders said the aim of the program was to help address the issue of unemployment in Tasmania by assisting people to achieve their goal of finding meaningful, sustainable employment.

“The program takes a holistic approach to matching jobseekers with employers, offering hands-on training initiatives, which provide added qualifications to participants’ job applications,” Ms Saunders said.

“Industry driven, and staffed by a fully-qualified builder, participants learn essential skills such as construction, welding, brick-laying and concreting as well as creating items that are donated to local charities.”