BOOROONGEN Djugun College has been granted 20 indigenous business traineeships for placements in the Macleay Valley worth $5500 each, but has had no luck placing any jobseekers into Kempsey businesses.
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The funding has been provided under the Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) to assist with the trainees’ wages in business administration positions.
The funding for the job placement program expires at the end of October.
“Aboriginal organisations have placed a number of people, however we are yet to have any offers of employment from the wider community,” she said.
“It is disappointing because the funding expires at the end of October and then it disappears for good.
“When employers take up this funding and place someone what they get is a good employee who will work hard to make a positive contribution to the business.
“They also get to choose the employee through an interview process, we don’t choose them. We respect Kempsey business owners and their right to run their business how they see fit.”
Booroongen manager of Employment and Training Placement Services Kellie Lemon said the training requirements were flexible to add to the trainee’s productivity.
“We know that it can be a problem for employers to have their workers leaving the business for training,” she said.
“So we have a flexible assessment process that takes that into account and adds to their productivity.”
“Our work force of 112 employees is more than 70 per cent Aboriginal and we have maintained the highest ISO accreditation for 13 years,” Ms March said.
“We couldn’t achieve that if we didn’t have the highest quality employees working here.”
Val said Booroongen Djugun contributed more than $9 million annually into the Kempsey business and wider community and the college would welcome inquiries from potential employers about this project.
They can be contacted on 6560 2000 or via email at info@booroongendjugun.com.au
