Thursday, 19 June 2008

Support where it's needed

Penrith residents Raviseng San, Stephanie Adams and Kristine Blackford are among the latest graduates from the Corporate Partners for Change Aged Care Work program.

Western Weekender
Jun 19, 2008

Cambridge Gardens resident, Raviseng San, has been without paid work for over four years, but now, with the help of the Corporate Partners for Change (CPC) Aged Care Work program, she will be able to support an area that suffers from skill shortages and gain meaningful employment.

Ms San had a disrupted education when growing up in Cambodia, and said the CPC program provided her with the employment skills she missed as a young woman.

Minister for Western Sydney, Barbara Perry, congratulated Ms San, as well as Penrith residents Stephanie Adams and Kristine Blackford, and 11 other students, who will be embarking on careers as carers for elderly residents, following their graduation from the CPC program.

“These graduates are now able to care for some of the most vulnerable members of our community thanks to Corporate Partners for Change’s specialised training, which is directly linked to career opportunities particularly in skills shortage areas,” Ms Perry said.

“The program provides students with free education, training and practical experience to help them succeed in their chosen field.

“Combine this with our strong partnerships with local employers and today’s graduates stand an excellent chance of gaining meaningful and secure employment.”

Ms Perry said some graduates were re-entering employment after as many as 14 years out of the workforce, and were hopeful of securing jobs as aged care workers with the lead corporate partner UnitingCare, and other partners including Anglican Retirement Villages, Anglicare Chesalon Aged Services, Clinic One, Minchinbury Manor, St Hedwig Village, Summit Health Care and Wesley Mission R. E. Tebbutt Lodge.

“Since CPC’s inception, more than 630 graduates are now working in fields with an identified skills shortage including aged care nursing, business administration for people with disabilities, childcare, disability support work and electrical trades,” Ms Perry said.

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