Indigenous employment program launches in St Marys

Employment Services Group (ESG), with support from MatchWorks, launched the successful Deadly Yakka program in St Marys today for Indigenous job seekers in the region.

Aboriginal elders Uncle Greg Simms and Uncle Wes Marne with MP Prue Carr at the Deadly Yakka St Marys launch.

Aboriginal elders Uncle Greg Simms and Uncle Wes Marne with MP Prue Car at the Deadly Yakka launch in St Marys. 

Aboriginal Elders Uncle Greg Simms and Uncle Wes Marne conducted a traditional Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony at the launch held at the ESG St Marys office.

The initiative, specifically designed for Indigenous job seekers, focuses on real employment outcomes and assists people to find a job they will be passionate about.

The two-week course has delivered successful programs at Victorian, Queensland and South Australian locations, with job seekers gaining and maintaining employment after working with Indigenous mentors and trainers.

The Deadly Yakka program covers goal setting and personal development, life skills for work, interview skills, cultural awareness training, presentation advice, workplace expectations and job search skills; while also addressing personal barriers to understand what has been holding participants back in their journey to work.

MatchWorks Executive Director Renae Lowry said the purpose of Deadly Yakka is to bring communities together and to give Indigenous job seekers a supportive network to make the transition into stable and ongoing employment.

“The Deadly Yakka program commences with traditional cultural activities where job seekers will have the opportunity to meet staff and various support services, such as employers, trainers and mentors who will assist them throughout the initiative,” she said.

“Once the formal training period is complete, job seekers will continue to workshop activities with their mentors and marketers to help increase their chances of gaining ongoing employment. We have already seen a lot of successful outcomes from this program and we are excited to launch it in St Marys.”

Deadly Yakka launched in Victoria in 2014 and has been delivered at MatchWorks sites in Bendigo, Sunshine, Bacchus Marsh and Warrnambool. It has also recently been delivered across ESG locations in Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales and Western Australia.

MatchWorks and Employment Services Group (ESG) will continue to roll out the initiative at further locations in the future.