By Andrew Starke
Barista, Bar and Gaming and Housekeeping courses will soon be conducted in Hervey Bay, Gympie, Rockhampton and on the Capricorn Coast to improve skills amongst both employed and unemployed people.
Minister for Employment, Skills and Mining, Stirling Hinchliffe, said Central Queensland jobseekers would gain valuable hospitality skills through the government funded program.
“The training is available to both unemployed and underemployed people who wish to gain skills to supplement their existing income with additional hours,” Hinchliffe said.
“The skills to be gained through the Hospitality Short Programs (Skills Sets) project lend themselves to full-time, part-time or casual employment in a multitude of roles.
“The two-week program will better position participants to gain work in clubs, resorts, motels, hotels, restaurants and cafes.”
Hinchliffe said Learning Network Queensland had received more than $365,000 under the State Government’s Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative to deliver training to 220 participants.
Learning Network Queensland Project Manager Pauline Grant-Smith said the short courses had already successfully been conducted in Gladstone and Agnes Waters.
“Training is currently being delivered at Kingfisher Bay Resort and Village in Hervey Bay and the Akarna Motel in Maryborough,” Grant-Smith said.
Grant-Smith said the Barista, Bar and Gaming program contained seven accredited units of competency including the Responsible Service Alcohol and Responsible Gaming Services certificates.
She also congratulated local industry for supporting the training initiative.
“Kingfisher Bay Resort, for instance, has been a great supporter of this program. They’ve previously employed people who’ve undertaken this training, and placed work experience students so they could gain real-world experience.”
For more information or to register for a Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative, visit www.employment.qld.gov.au or call 1300 369 925.