Industry Training Hub now open to connect local students with careers

A new Industry Training Hub is now open in Maryborough, connecting local senior secondary students with local employment and training opportunities, Federal Member for Wide Bay and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Llew O’Brien announced today.

The Australian Government has engaged BUSY At Work to provide a full-time Career Facilitator who is located at 5/131 Bazaar Street. The Career Facilitator will help youths develop skills to help them find employment without having to leave the region.

The hub services the Wide Bay region, including the Maryborough, Hervey Bay, Gympie, Bundaberg and Burnett regions.

Mr O’Brien said the hub is one of ten Training Hubs being trialled across Australia as part of a $50.6 million investment by the Australian Government to improve opportunities for Year 11 and 12 students in regions with high youth unemployment.

“Wide Bay youths shouldn’t have to leave the region to find employment, so this Industry Training Hub is about helping local students to gain the skills that local employers are looking for,” Mr O’Brien said.

“This is helping students start their careers without having to leave their hometowns, and also helps local businesses find the skilled staff they need to grow their businesses.”

Mr O’Brien said the Career Facilitator is engaging with local employers, especially those who are experiencing difficulty finding people with the right skills they need, to advise senior high school students of skill shortages in the region.

“The hub is identifying the skills employers want and connecting students with training programs to make them job-ready to take advantage of those employment opportunities.

“Industries, workforces and career options are changing rapidly, and this is all about building a strong workforce that meets our local industry needs, now and into the future,” he said.

Industry Training Hub Career Facilitator for Maryborough, Karen Seymour, stated: “The Industry Training Hub will provide the bridge needed between the demand for skilled staff and employment opportunities for young people in the region.”

“I’m looking forward to assisting the Wide Bay region’s local industry through encouraging young people into vocational education pathways that will skill them for career pathways in these industries,” she said. 

The Maryborough Training Hub is one of five Training Hubs that have now commenced. The other Training Hubs are operating in Burnie in Tasmania, Townsville in Queensland, Shepparton in Victoria and Port Pirie in South Australia.

Additional Training Hubs are planned for Grafton and Gosford in NSW, Wanneroo and Armadale in Western Australia, and Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

More details can be found at www.dese.gov.au/industry-training-hubs