18 May 2022
Open to all members of the community, the Skills and Jobs Centre is a ‘one-stop shop’ providing independent, no-cost advice on study options, career planning, job seeking, skills recognition, and a range of other services. The reach of the service is about to expand, with a mobile fleet ready to hit the road.
In April this year, Minister for Training and Skills, Gayle Tierney, announced the launch of the new mobile Skills and Jobs Centres, delivered through a $1.3 million Labor Government investment.
In launching the service, Minister Tierney said, “the new SuniTAFE mobile Skills and Jobs Centres are vital in ensuring every Victorian has access to world-class training and career pathways, no matter where they live – which is why we’ve invested in them”.
The fleet of four vans will visit schools, community centres, and workplaces in areas with limited or no direct access to TAFE and training - including Charlton, Kerang, Robinvale, and other towns across Sunraysia. The service will provide free advice and better connect everyone in the region to education, training, and employment opportunities.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to provide a Skills and Jobs service to all communities in the Mallee – the mobile fleet will visit communities large and small and deliver support that wasn’t previously available,” SuniTAFE acting CEO, David Harris said.
The mobile Skills and Jobs Centres will provide services including pathways to training, career counselling, resume and interview preparation. They will also assist in building strong connections with employers and industry across the region to ensure strong pathways to employment.
The project will employ two new specialist staff, with a particular focus on supporting young people, retrenched workers, women returning to work, mature aged workers, Aboriginal Victorians, and people living with disability.
The Skills and Jobs Centre is for industry, community, people who have been made redundant, those returning to the workforce after an extended period of absence, people making a career change and school leavers.
“It’s really important to have the Centre as some people aren’t sure where to start, they might have an idea of the course they would like to study or the career they would like to achieve but they don’t know how to get there,” Skills and Jobs Centre Manager, Karen Chynoweth said.
Karen said that while the initial steps may not be that difficult, it can be hard to know where to begin and that’s where the Skills and Jobs Centre can assist.
“Staff are skilled in mapping out a really achievable plan to help with enrolling into a course or securing a job,” Karen said.
“We can also refer you to other services that may be able to offer further support.”
All 16 staff working in the Skills and Jobs Centre are there to help people:
Client Engagement Officers - can discuss course options, provide career advice and general support
Retention Officers - provide SuniTAFE enrolled students with support and tools to keep them on track to successfully complete their studies
Industry Engagement Consultants - work closely with industry to identify trends, training needs and to plan training delivery
School Coordinator - attends career events, provides supports to schools and secondary students about careers and training options
Skills Recognition professionals – can assist in turning previous work and life experience into a nationally recognised qualification, by means of credit transfer or recognition of prior learning.
Work Placement team - work closely with students enrolled in SuniTAFE courses that require a practical work placement to successfully gain their qualification
The Skills and Jobs Centre are open at the Mildura and Swan Hill Campus, Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm.
No appointments are necessary, and walk-ins are welcome.
Or you can make an appointment by contacting the Skills and Jobs Centre on 03 5022 3999 or email at skillsandjobs@sunitafe.edu.au.