Employment Opportunities

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS (15:02): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills a question about employment.

Leave granted.

The Hon. G.A. KANDELAARS: Mature-age workers have built up knowledge and skill during their lifetime in work. Using these skills in workplace mentoring programs can reduce staff turnover, train other staff and increase staff morale. Can the minister please advise the chamber what is being done to support mature-age workers?

The Hon. G.E. GAGO (Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for the Status of Women, Minister for Business Services and Consumers) (15:02): I thank the honourable member for his most important question. We had a very productive time during our recent Country Cabinet meeting held in the Adelaide Hills, which was particularly stunning at this time of the year. We spent a couple of days there. One of the many productive activities was that we were able to fulfil yet another of our election commitments. During the two days, I was able to announce a boost to the highly valued older workforce with a provision of $600,000 over four years to the not-for-profit organisation DOME (Don't Overlook Mature Expertise).

This government recognises that it is important to keep the experience and expertise of older workers in the workforce and that this funding is to support around 1,200 people to help increase their skills and to assist them to find satisfying jobs. The funding will assist DOME to expand their statewide program that supports older workers and job seekers with training and employment programs. Through the program, DOME expects to support around 600 people into jobs and provide assistance to people who are underemployed and want to work more and to help them find those additional hours.

DOME services include helping people to understand often simple things like how to search for a job, how to prepare a résumé or CV and physically just how to look for and apply for jobs. People can also volunteer at DOME to help improve or learn new skills, like office skills. Also, volunteering is often an important first step back into the workforce and can often help immensely improve people's self confidence. DOME also holds referrals for job vacancies from mature age friendly employers across South Australia.

An example of a recent successful pairing of an older worker and a job vacancy in the Hills area was the story of a 62 year old, Mr Rafferty Flynn, and the Barker Boys food processing firm. Rafferty had previously worked in areas like truck driving in the mining industry in WA and also had jobs in the tourism sector and also as a seasonal worker. Barker Boys is a vegetable processing business operating at Mount Barker. It has been operating there for 28 years. Barker Boys is one of South Australia's largest quality processors, and they supply a wide range of processed fruit and vegetables to a diverse range of businesses from SunFresh Salads, Balfours, McCain through to hospitality industries and local businesses, such as Millies Café, which is notorious for its wonderful meat pies.

Barker Boys identified a need to employ someone who could drive a truck and who was also capable of doing maintenance work. I also had the pleasure of meeting with Greg Goudie, the executive director of DOME, who was able to give me an overview of their operation and the issues they are faced with. I was very pleased to be able to visit that particular work site where DOME was able to connect with Barker Boys and connect them with Rafferty, who started work with Barker Boys this month. Rafferty and Barker Boys both really praised DOME for the assistance it had provided in linking them together. Rafferty said that the DOME website and staff had really assisted him in helping to find a job and making it a relatively easy task.

Barker Boys, owned by Ken Borg, told me of the many benefits of hiring mature-aged workers, including that most are trained and have appropriate licences and often bring with them a wealth and breadth of knowledge and life experience that they can share with other staff. Mr Borg also mentioned that there are a large number of very young employees in his workplace, and having an older, mature person there provided an excellent role model, particularly for those young men. It was wonderful to hear of such a success story, and it has been wonderful to be able to support DOME in its very valuable work.