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This article was published on Thursday, 1 September, 2022. The information contained within may be out of date or inaccurate. News articles and media releases older than 60 days are archived for future reference.

Employment session removes barriers for young people

The recent Melbourne Career Expo provided an opportunity for the Great Things Happen Here marketing team to present the lifestyle and career opportunities that exist throughout Greater Shepparton.

“Attracting professionals to our region was the aim of attending the Melbourne Career Expo. But that comes with its own challenges around housing and the rental market,” said Greater Shepparton City Council’s Partnerships & Marketing Coordinator, Liz Connick.

“Then after attending the local Youth Employment Summit, it become clear there are current barriers for young people to obtain casual and part-time employment but also challenges for local businesses,” she said. “Prior to Covid-19 it was not easy for a young person to obtain casual work, it was more competitive and most young people found work through the right connections”

“What happens to many young people who do not have a wide network or are not well connected through sport or peers? Then add a two year pandemic on top. We were all victims of the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. Now we are all emerging with new challenges and the confidence of our young people is an issue. But with support from schools, teachers, parents and businesses collectively, could this problem be solved?”

“We hear the challenges that are facing small businesses and we recently conducted a survey that clearly showed us that 80 per cent of businesses have previously employed young people (15 – 18 years),” said Ms Connick. “Businesses also told us that the top three skills they are looking for in a young person is; a good attitude, reliability and willingness to learn, in that order.”

“The partnership with the Greater Shepparton Secondary College, and a presentation to 450 Year students was held in the College stadium on Wednesday 31 August. It was aimed at building the confidence and aspirations of our young people, but also helping them understanding the challenges of our local businesses. This is the first step”, she said.

Comedian Col Cameron who recently worked alongside the Greater Shepparton, Great Careers & Lifestyle Expo team in Melbourne, was asked to return to Shepparton. “We saw firsthand how young people were able to relate to him due to his comedic nature. Col demonstrated that there are signals everywhere in your first job, at school and through hobbies that help guide us through life.”

“We all know that is it difficult to know where to start, we are just asking our young people to make a start. It doesn’t matter where you start but there are skills that can be learnt in a first job that young people will carry with them into their future,” said Ms Connick.

“We’re so pleased to be partnering with Greater Shepparton City Council and GOTAFE to help our students get ‘work ready’,” Mary-Ann Linehan, Partnership Manager with Greater Shepparton Secondary College, said.

“Now is the perfect time for our young people to find employment, earn money and learn important life skills. In the lead-up to Christmas, our shops and services have many opportunities for our students to gain casual employment.

“The mentoring sessions and after-school hospitality and retail sessions provided with the assistance of our partners promise to be fun, informative and deliver real benefit to our students and business community.”

If businesses have casual or part-time positions available for young people the GROW Greater Shepparton Youth Jobs is the place to post your jobs - https://growgreatershepparton.com.au/youth/

If you are a young person looking for work you can create a Job Seeker profile here - https://growgreatershepparton.com.au/job-seekers/join/

There are many organisations including the Greater Shepparton, Careers and Lifestyle Marketing team who are working together to address our local workforce issues.

If you have insights you would like to share then contact:

Liz Connick, Partnerships & Marketing Coordinator for more information.
E: liz.connick@shepparton.vic.gov.au
M: 0402 269 699