Communites

The Communities team works in partnership with Neighbourhood Renewal (NR) to tackle the disadvantage that exists within the Office of Housing ‘Parkside Estate’.

This disadvantage relates to issues that impact on the quality of residents lives, such as health and wellbeing, participation in the community, crime and safety, and education and employment

Employment & Learning Coordinator

The Employment and Learning Coordinator’s role is:

• To facilitate the building of local employment and learning infrastructure.
• Promote and facilitate entrepreneurial and innovative approaches amongst individuals, support agencies and employers to increase local employment opportunities in Parkside.
• To improve educational pathways and outcomes for young people in NR areas.

Workforce Participation Project

This twelve month project has identified five skill shortage areas and will support 20 residents through mentoring, accredited training and development of life skills into sustainable employment within these areas.

Once clients make connection with the project, the project worker will canvass local businesses.

A partnership orientated employment initiative, the Work Force Participation Project Worker is required to create positive relationships with Local Business, Service Providers and North Shepparton Residents

The Communities team has been instrumental in the establishment and development of two social enterprises, which provide a supported pathway for long term unemployed residents into main stream employment.

Just Romans

Just Romans was established in July 2004 as part of a community jobs project. The project aimed to reduce energy bills in low income homes by retrofitting homes with energy saving devices such as:

• Draft stoppers
• Door seals
• Water efficient shower roses
• Insulation batts
• Energy efficient light globes
• 100% block out Roman Blinds

Crews of long term unemployed people were recruited into a ‘retrofit’ team and offered 16 weeks paid employment. An integral part of this project was the manufacture and installation of Roman blinds

The project was so successful that the original contract with Sustainability Victoria is now in its third year.

Just Romans has since become an Incorporated, stand alone community enterprise. The mission of this enterprise is to provide a supported, training pathway for employees into mainstream employment and develop other streams of resource efficient business (water wise gardens etc) that improve the sustainability of the business allow it to move away from relying on government funding.

The core operating staff stands at 6 with an intake of 6 more during the next twelve months who will be moved through a training program into mainstream employment within the Shepparton area.

 It is envisaged that with the development of other add on works, Just Romans will continue to grow and provide an alternative for long term unemployed people to develop work readiness skills, accredited training and participate in paid work.

Kids N Cars

The Parkside Neighbourhood Renewal Automotive project aims to achieve four distinct outcomes. These are:

1. To engage young people who are at risk of entering the Justice system by helping them to gain life skills ( work ethic, communication skills, personal development, team work) and practical automotive skills that lead to either future accredited training or employment.

2. To develop a community enterprise (Automotive Detailing Service) for this project that will provide sustainability for the project. Participants of the project will gain work experience within the community enterprise that can then be added to their resumes.

3. To raise money for the children’s charity ‘Camp Quality’ by designing fundraising events that increase the participants of the project sense of self worth and provide positive interaction with the larger community, and building stronger links with schools, other service providers and local business in the Goulburn Valley.

4. To compete in the Camp Quality Escarpade by rebuilding pre 1980 cars to rally standards, by meeting and talking to others competitors (usually around 150) and participating in primary school visits to educate children about cancer.

The 2006 project will include the following:

• Certificate II Automotive
• Skills in communication, teamwork
• Skills in navigation
• Mentoring support
• Work experience in the enterprise
• Resume writing / interview skills / public speaking
• Fundraising for Camp Quality
• Compete in the 2006 Escarpade
• Advocacy for employment
• Learners to License

Entry into this project involves firstly an assessment, when successful, participants will start in the detailing service, so they can show their commitment.. The automotive training component starts the 20th March and finishes 13th of November

Participants are required to attend five days a week.

The participants in the 2005 project raised over $33,000.00 for Camp Quality.

This was the fourth highest amount raised nationally.

Community Development Officer Parkside

The Parkside Liaison Officer's role is to engage local residents and make them aware of what the neighbourhood renewal offers them

This is done through activities, trips and local BBQ’s, encouraging them to be involved in committees and have a say about what is happening in their community.