Port Pirie’s answer to unemployment
Port Pirie locals are gaining qualifications working on community projects as the council seeks to address a skills shortage and improve employment opportunities.
The second annual Work Hardening Program, beginning October 14, will see participants work on upgrades to the Phoenix Park Wetlands as part of Port Pirie’s Greening Program, a $5.7 million partnership with the state government.
Port Pirie Council infrastructure director Kathryn Johnson told InDaily the council had identified the need for more qualified local workers.
“We identified that, like the rest of Australia, we’ve got a skill shortage, and we’ve got a pipeline of projects coming to our region with the renewable energy sector, but also the state government’s hydrogen jobs plan and the green iron and steel strategy,” she said.
“So, we were looking at ways that we could build our own workforce, rather than rely on out-of-town people.”
Together with Workskil Australia, Workforce Australia Local Jobs Mid North, Regional Development Australia Yorke and Mid North and Carey Training, the Council created the Work Hardening program.
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Kathryn Johnson said of the eight inaugural participants, she believed six had found employment. Photo: supplied“[We’ve] come up with a program where participants will spend eight weeks in the training course, and they’ll get real life skills while they’re studying a Certificate Two in Resources and Infrastructure,” Johnson said.
“What we’re focussing on is making sure that they are employable for these other projects that will be in the area. So we’re making sure that the skills and the ticket they get are actually transferrable.”
The inaugural program in 2023 had eight participants, who completed work as part of the Port Pirie Riverbank Precinct Master Plan.
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“Of those eight participants, I’m pretty confident six of those got jobs,” Johnson said.
“We’re giving people who are unemployed or underemployed the opportunity to do this course. The idea being that we give these people skills and confidence to enter the workforce.
“Sometimes these are people with barriers [to employment] or who weren’t sure what they wanted to do, or between jobs, don’t necessarily have the qualifications or experience.”
Participants from the inaugural Work Hardening program in 2023. Photo: suppliedAs part of the program, not-for-profit employment provider Workskil helps connect project participants with potential employers.
This year’s participants will work on the Phoenix Park Wetlands upgrades, including a new entrance, revegetation of native flora, and a new area with picnic furniture.
“The difference with this course is that the participants will actually get to work on a real-life project, rather than just moving a pile of soil from one place to another, or doing practical exercises that aren’t really beneficial for anyone,” Johnson said.
“In our case, they are actually contributing to improving the community they live in, so we’re hopeful that then also builds community pride in Port Pirie, a sense of ownership.”
