Member for Maroochydore Fiona Simpson was delighted to officiate at the opening of a new program in Coolum to train young people in hospitality and retail to help get them into work.
Integrated Family and Youth Services (IFYS) was successful in securing $270,000 of funding for Community Learning in 2013–14 to deliver the “CORE Program”. The project is providing supported training to 60 young people from the Sunshine Coast region.
Community Learning is a State Government initiative which is part of the “Great skills – Real opportunities” action plan to reform Queensland’s further education and training sector.
Community Learning provides a supported pathway for Queensland’s disadvantaged learners, offering high levels of support in a community-setting to participate in and complete vocational qualifications up to and including certificate III.
The CORE Program at the Coolum Community Centre provides nationally recognised qualifications in Hospitality or Retail that will help local youth to get into the workforce.
Ms Simpson praised the work of IFYS and the use of Coolum Community Centre to provide better opportunities for our young people, particularly through training and development to get them into hospitality jobs on the Coast.
“There are high levels of youth unemployment locally and I welcome funding being released in my electorate to help get our young people into local jobs,” Ms Simpson said.
“We are seeing encouraging signs of growth in our local economy and we want to ensure our young people have the skills and training our employers are looking for.”
