Shadow Treasurer Scott Bacon, Workskills Marketing Manager Rorie Auld, Workskills Employment Skills Trainer Martin Killick and Minister for State Growth, Matthew Groom at the Workskills Red Shed official opening.
Tasmania’s long-term unemployed are set to benefit from the re-location of the Workskills Red Shed
– the home of their Construction and Manufacturing Labour Skills Course and Work Experience
Program – to a bigger and better location in Chapel Street, Glenorchy.
The move was celebrated today with an official launch by the Minister for State Growth, the
Honourable Matthew Groom, featuring an open day to showcase the new facility to industry
stakeholders, business leaders and the wider community.
Workskills is a long-established, local job services provider and the Workskills Red Shed Labour Skills
Course teaches long-term unemployed Tasmanians the practical skills they need for building and
associated trades, as well as instilling employability skills by restoring confidence, self-esteem, and a
positive work attitude, assisting them to enter the workforce.
Workskills General Manager, Janet Saunders, said the re-location of the Red Shed would give
participants, volunteers, workers and supporters an opportunity to celebrate all that had been
achieved over the last eight years.
“The launch of our new premises is a culmination of all the hard work and dedication our fantastic
staff, volunteers and trainees have put in to making the Red Shed so successful,” Ms Saunders said.
“It also allows us to open our doors and invite the community inside so they can see what we do
first-hand.
“With Tasmania’s unemployment at an all-time high we have seen an increase in the amount of
people coming to us for assistance in their search for ongoing employment, which has resulted in the
need for a bigger premises.
“After many years at the Glenorchy Showgrounds complex, it is relieving to have secured a great
new venue that is more in line with our current growing needs.
“We believe this facility will serve our requirements for many years to come and the new layout will
improve our ability to provide the best possible environments for our course participants to learn
and grow.”
Workskills began the Red Shed Labour Skills Course in 2010 and has seen over 250 participants
progress through the program during this time, with graduates averaging full-time placement
outcomes of 55 per cent.
Ms Saunders said the aim of the program was to help address the issue of unemployment in
Tasmania by assisting people to achieve their goal of finding meaningful, sustainable employment.
“The program takes a holistic approach to matching jobseekers with employers, offering hands-on
training initiatives, which provide added qualifications to participants’ job applications,” she said.
“Industry driven, and staffed by a fully-qualified builder, participants learn essential skills such as
construction, welding, brick-laying and concreting as well as creating items that are donated to local
community organisations.”
Carmen McSweyn, Font Public Relations
