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House of Assembly - Fifty-Second Parliament, Second Session (52-2)
2012-05-02 Daily Xml
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BUILDING FAMILY OPPORTUNITIES

Dr CLOSE (Port Adelaide) (14:44): My question is to the Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills. Can the minister inform the house of how the state government is assisting jobless families to enter training and work?

The Hon. T.R. KENYON (Newland—Minister for Employment, Higher Education and Skills, Minister for Science and Information Economy, Minister for Recreation and Sport) (14:44): I thank the member for Port Adelaide for her question. As members would be aware, Australia's unemployment rates are the envy of the western world. The latest unemployment rates for South Australia, released on 12 April, were steady at 5.2 per cent. However, we know there are some South Australians who, for a variety of reasons, face a number of barriers to enter learning, training and work opportunities. The state government established the Building Family Opportunities program in 2010. This $9.6 million program has shown how one-on-one support received by participant families in Adelaide's northern suburbs, Port Adelaide and Port Augusta can result in real change and create opportunities to access training for jobs.

Put simply, this program provides the opportunity for financial independence for families who never thought this could be possible, including single-parent families, Aboriginal families and families where there is intergenerational unemployment. Importantly, this program deals with problems faced by all family members, including children. There are currently 273 families participating in the program which consists of 886 individual family members.

Since the program began, 117 participants have gained a job and 187 people have participated in education and training. While this is encouraging, there are many other important outcomes for families participating in the program, which include families accessing secure housing, getting debt under control and establishing a budget, addressing acute and chronic health and mental health issues, supporting children's engagement with school and improving overall motivation and confidence.

There are many inspiring success stories from this important initiative. Mark, a participant who has been unemployed since 1993, faced a number of personal, financial and legal issues whilst trying to support his family—his partner and two children. Mark received financial counselling, assistance to address mental health issues and other support services. Within several weeks' involvement in the program, Mark was employed and this helped to improve his financial situation. Soon the family no longer needed ongoing support.

Another participant, Mathew, an Aboriginal single parent, faced barriers to employment due to problems with alcohol and drugs, along with mental health issues. Mathew wanted to find employment but realised he needed to deal with these issues. As part of his health and wellness plan, he started going to a gym which was an opportunity to increase his fitness and also to build the resilience required to avoid alcohol and drugs. Mathew focused on his studies and received support to assist with his parenting. Mathew is now running a small business, has ceased alcohol and drug use and is managing his mental health issues.

The Building Family Opportunities program helps support resilience and creates real opportunities for families to turn their lives around, particularly through learning and employment. The state government's Skills For All reform is about ensuring that South Australians have access to world-class skills—skills that our industries are calling out for—leading to more jobs and greater opportunities.

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