Roger Jaensch,Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth
The Troublesmiths program for young Tasmanians at risk of long-term unemployment continues to deliver impressive results for participants and the community.
That is why I am delighted to announce the Tasmanian Liberal Government will invest a further $650,000 over two years to allow Troublesmiths to consolidate its Hobart operations and expand into the northern suburbs.
This commitment builds on our Government's continued investment in improving and supporting young people's access to work and training through the Regional Jobs Hub Network and Jobs Tasmania.
A social enterprise program run by Workskills Inc., Troublesmiths markets locally made products and gives participants the opportunity to build their confidence while gaining valuable work skills.
Since 2019, more than 125 young Tasmanians have participated in the program and more than 75 per cent of those have gone onto employment or further education.
Elly Rigney, Troublesmiths' Employment and Business Development Officer said Troublesmiths was a unique program that showed young people how to build their self-worth, develop healthy habits and gain confidence to find a job.
"The overwhelming feedback and the results we're getting strongly demonstrate that improving young people's employment skills and self-confidence are vital to getting them into the workforce. It is a win-win for everyone, young people trying to get jobs, employers looking for people who have the right skills and positive attitude to work, and the community," Ms Rigney said.
The Troublesmiths seven-week program gives participants hands-on work experience in the workshop and retail space, one-on-one coaching, employability skills workshops, and tailored support into employment.
This important program will now be able to expand with a new workshop and retail space provided rent free by the Glenorchy City Council, with Mayor Bec Thomas saying Glenorchy City was delighted to welcome Troublesmiths into the municipality.
"By providing a council space, we know we're encouraging other young people who may be experiencing difficulties in finding work because of particular barriers, to look at what can be done to help themselves," she said.
"Council believes the connection between the Jobs Hub and the new Troublesmiths workshop to be a perfect alignment as it directly demonstrates what is available to improve employment prospects for people in Glenorchy and surrounds."
Since opening in August 2021, the Glenorchy Jobs Hub has helped more than 200 people into work, with 60 of those placements occurring in February alone, and more than 500 participants have registered.
Connecting job seekers with local employers is a priority for our Government and we will continue to build on the success of programs like Troublesmiths and the Jobs Hubs to deliver for Tasmanians.
