Job Seeker News

Driver Education Program launched in Tweed Heads

Tue, 03 Apr 2012 06:41:00 GMT

For Maddison Beattie and her parents, the Driver Education Program she has just enrolled in couldn’t have come at a better time.

Maddison and her twin are 16 years old and are both having private driving lessons at a weekly cost of $120, funded entirely by their parents.

Maddison, currently completing her schooling, works part time at Kmart in Tweed Heads, but lives in Pottsville. She therefore also relies on her parents to provide transport to and from work because of limited access to public transport. Financially, and mentally, Maddison’s lack of independence was starting to take its toll on the Beattie family until the launch of the new Driver Education Program - an ON-Q Human Resources funded initiative.

Maddison states “Living in Pottsville is great, but most of the jobs that I want to do are in Tweed Heads, 30kms away. I’ve always had to rely on my parents to taxi me to and from work, which was getting stressful, so I was keen to get my Driver Licence and some independence. But the driving lessons were starting to get too expensive, so when I heard about the Driver Education Program I couldn’t believe my luck!”

The Driver Education Program has been set up to assist job seekers to achieve the 120 hours (20 of which must be at night) of supervised driving practise required to pass the Driving Test. The program is fully funded by ON-Q and aims to provide driver training hours to job seekers that would usually not have the resources to complete 120 hours of practise. ON-Q has employed a full time driving instructor and adapted one of its fleet vehicles with dual controls as part of this 12 month pilot program. Currently the pilot is being run out of their Tweed Heads South office, but if successful, the program will be rolled out across the 9 offices in the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast.

The Driver Education Program is the brainchild of Tricia Marr, an ON-Q Specialist Consultant, whose clients kept coming up against the same barriers to employment – lack of transport, specifically lack of Driver Licence. Marr states “when looking for work a lot of our clients, especially those in the younger bracket, suffer from poor access to local or personal transport. It was clear that a lack of transportation to and from work was one of the biggest challenges that our clients were living with. The majority of these job seekers were on their L’s but couldn’t afford to pay for 120 hours worth of supervised practise. This then not only restricted their choice of career path but reduced their chances of finding employment in general. It was obvious that if we could help these job seekers to pass their driving test, they would have a much better chance of long term employment and all the societal & well being benefits that come with it.”Marr goes on to explain “we came up with the idea of the Driver Education Program and submitted it to the ON-Q Innovative Projects committee. Thankfully they could see the benefit of the program to our clients and agreed to fund a 12 month pilot.”

Managing Director, Alec Morgan, points out that “the Driver Education Program is a brilliant example of the innovation required to really change the lives of those people living with barriers to employment. Without programs such as this, job seekers can find themselves struggling to find employment. This can have a major effect on the person’s wellbeing, with a direct knock on to their families’ lives too. But, if we can help a number of clients to obtain their Driver Licence and then gain employment, the positive implications on their lives and their families is immeasurable.”

For more information on the Driver Education Program and whether you might be eligible, please call ON-Q Human Resources on 1800 761 561.

Are your computer skills lacking something?

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 23:05:00 GMT

Computer skills have long been a necessity in the workplace - especially in office, retail and even warehouse environments. But increasingly computer usage is becoming ingrained into the social fabric of lives outside of the workplace. Without access to computers or the skills required to operate them certain pockets of society can quickly become isolated, cut off and unable to carry out their usual duties. How many pieces of communication do you see with web addresses featured instead of postal addresses?

Computer skills can therefore help to empower and improve independence, health and wellbeing.

Having realised the importance of having computer skills Vicnet (A division of the State Library of Victoria) have pulled together a number of really useful Computer Training Workbooks specifically for those that might be struggling to handle the ever changing computer environments.

Whether it's the basics of what the parts of a computer look like, or the first steps in using Flickr, Skype, and YouTube these guides are ideal for all levels of ability, just pick and choose the subject that you're interested in.

The 12 lessons cover:

1. Computer Basics

2. Internet Basics

3. How to search the Internet

4. Introduction to Email

5. Skype Basics

6. Using Radio on the Internet

7. Working with pictures

8. Using Google Maps, Earth and Images

9. YouTube Basics

10. Websites in your language

11. Using Facebook

12. Using Flickr Photo Sharing

Please use the links above to download the Workbook that may interest you or one of your friends and family.

Every Australian Counts!

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 05:01:00 GMT

Every Australian Counts is the campaign for the introduction of a National Disability Insurance Scheme. The NDIS will revolutionise the way people with a disability, their families and carers are supported in this country.

The NDIS will be a new support system for people with a disability, their families and carers. It will transform the way services are funded and delivered, ensuring people are better supported and enabling them to have greater choice and control.

The Productivity Commission is currently reporting to the Government on the findings of its inquiry into a long-term disability care and support scheme.

Every Australian Counts needs every Australian to stand up and say that people with a disability, their families and carers in this country deserve better and that it’s time for change. They need every Australian to say that people with a disability, their families and carers are Australians too, and that their hopes and dreams count. That they are part of our community, and that they count.

They need to show the government that there is widespread community support for change – and that the time for action has come.

So please show your support by clicking here to take action and help to make every Australian count.

They only need another 2000 people to sign up to achieve their target of 100,000!

Parts of this information were first used on everyaustraliancounts.com.au.

Festival of Ability Far North Coast 2011 - Celebrating IDPwD

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:12:00 GMT

The festival of Ability Far North Coast 2011 was a brilliant day supported and attended by ON-Q staff and clients. The event celebrates the International Day of People with Disability (IDPwD) which occurs on December 3rd every year recognising the achievements and contributions of people with disability across the globe.

IDPwD brings together people with disability and the general community and aims to:
• showcase the skills, abilities, contributions and achievements of people with disability
• promote a positive image of people with disability
• involve people with disability & the broader community in activities to celebrate & raise awareness of IDPwD.

The Festival of Ability Far North Coast is now in its 3rd year and brings the Northern Rivers’ community together to celebrate IDPwD locally. This year over 500 people living with disability came together to mark this important day in the calendar at the Casino RV Village, Casino on Thursday December 1st. Despite the inclement weather the day was a great success and full of fun and games. There were lots of live musical performances, arts, crafts, a photographic competition and a community services expo.

Ambassador of the day was Jacqueline Freney - Swimming Paralympic Medalist from the 2008 Paralympic games. Jacqueline provided an inspirational talk to all those attended, cut the event cake, and awarded the prizes for the Photographic competition.

We hope to see you there next year!

MO-VEMBER ENDS ON A HIGH FOR THE MEN OF MON-Q

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 04:16:00 GMT

During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in Australia and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and depression in men.

As Movember 2011 comes to an end “The Men of MON-Q” (and their partners) couldn’t be happier!

The team of 15 “Mo-bro’s” and supporting “Mo-Sista’s” are not only celebrating raising over $2,500 for the worthy charities that battle Prostate Cancer and Depression amongst men, but also that they get to shave their facial hair off tomorrow!

Team Leader of “The Men of MON-Q” – Trent Rees from ON-Q’s Ballina Head Office – states “it’s been a tough month of facial hair jokes and jibes, but well worth it when you look at home much money that we’ve raised for these worthy causes. We usually have a few of us taking part every year but this year it’s really taken off and we’ve had 15 of us taking part. We’ve also smashed last year’s total of $2,000 in donations which is amazing! People have gone to all lengths to raise money for the month including baking and selling off cakes in the offices.”

Since its humble beginnings in Melbourne Australia, Movember has grown to become a truly global movement inspiring more than 1.1 Million Mo Bros and Mo Sistas to participate, with formal campaigns in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Spain, South Africa and Ireland. .

In 2010, over 130,000 Australian Mo Bros and Sistas got on board, raising $25 Million AUD.

Celebrating the International Day of People with Disability

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 03:59:00 GMT

ON-Q is celebrating and we want you to be a part of it.

To mark the International Day of People with Disability we are opening our office doors and holding a “Morning Tea”, and you’re invited. Each one of our 9 offices across the Northern Rivers and Gold Coast will be putting on a Morning Tea – and we’d love to see you there!

We wanted to mark this important day in the calendar, and what better way than putting on a spread. So please block out your diary between 10 and 11am on Friday 2nd December to visit your local ON-Q office for a cuppa and a piece of cake.