The project is strategically linking potential female labour force skills
within 3 communities (Condobolin, Cowra and Orange) with industry and economic
development plans and projections across the region to:
deliver benefits to industry and business by identifying under utilisation
of the skills available within the region; and
more effectively address unemployment or underemployment issues for women
within a community by linking locally developed strategies, education and
training, employment support programs and government programs and services
to deliver real employment outcomes for women (including young women,
Aboriginal women and women from culturally diverse communities).
develop a model of community supported economic development and employment
generation for women.
maximise outcomes by involving the key stakeholders: local community,
business and industry, community organisations and all levels of government.
The Central West Regional Council of Adult and Community Education (ACE) in
partnership with the NSW Department for Women are undertaking this project which
started in late 2000 and will continue throughout 2001.
The project will:
Work in 3 diverse communities;
Establish a model of community accessible research;
Promote community driven solutions to matching business and industry
skills demand and opportunities with women seeking employment or maintaining
their employability; and
Provide a template for local community action in economic and business
growth and sustainability and support women into employment in those
businesses.
Stakeholder involvement is critical to the success of this project at:
Regional level through the Project Advisory Team;
Local level in the development of local strategies to match industry and
business skills demand and opportunities with women's needs and skills; and
State level through the funding body having a hands on partnership role
working alongside the Central West Regional Council of ACE to ensure that
lessons learnt in this project can inform the development of wider policies
and programs supporting women's employment.
Stakeholder involvement is not stagnant but as the project progresses new
individuals and organisations are self identifying as wanting to be involved. To
date stakeholders include:
The research phase identifies business and industry skills
demand and opportunities for growth and women's employment needs and
skills gaps.
Phase 2
This phase is about local action. Local economic
development groups in each of the 3 communities will involve key local
stakeholders from community, business and industry, ACE, TAFE and other
training providers, JobNetwork members and relevant government and
non-government agencies. These groups will develop local strategies to
help women fill skills demand gaps identified in the research from phase
1.
Phase 3
This phase is about identifying outcomes and sharing
successful strategies and processes with other communities across the
state.
Whilst still in the early stages of the project, one of the excellent
achievements so far is the engagement of a diverse range of stakeholders who can
see the possibilities of both real outcomes for this project and ongoing returns
for work they're doing in other areas. These returns are both in the
establishment of new relationships with diverse organisations and information
being returned from the research phase of this project which will help in
planning other services in these communities.
