Skills forming futures

Finding the right person with the right skills for a job is a difficult task for any employer.

But the Dalby Wambo Skills Formation Strategy (SFS) is tackling the issue head-on by helping the community manage their skills and skill shortages in a time of rapid development.

SFS Projects Officer Beth Wood says the project is crucial to Dalby’s economic sustainability, particularly with booming opportunities in the mining and energy industries in the region.

“There has been amazing community support for the strategy,” Beth says.

“It started out looking at skill needs, but soon became much broader than that. It began to focus on the importance of training people locally; image and attractiveness of businesses and the town; and the collaboration of businesses.

“Now in its third and final year, all the groups created under the strategy have representatives on the newly formed Industry and Skills Development Committee of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to make the project sustainable in the long term.”

Dalby has become well known over the past two years for the development of its Careers Market, Industry Visits, Year 10 Day on employability skills and Recruitment Evening, all involving local employers talking to students about taking up careers locally.

“Undoubtedly these strategies will continue to become bigger and better as employers plan to host students for after school and holiday work experience.”

With proven programs in place to support student transition into the workforce, attention is now turning to unemployed and under-employed people to assist them with skills for re-entry into the workforce or opportunities for greater employment.

The Strategy will also focus on businesses that are looking at their image, and the image of the community, to see how businesses in Dalby and Wambo can become employers of choice, hence the Dalby Wambo community becoming a welcoming community of choice.

While Beth’s role as facilitator has been rewarding, she notes the SFS success is completely due to the ongoing commitment of time and energy by the Dalby Wambo community.

“What the strategy has done is to promote collaboration and involvement creating a greater synergy in the community.”

For more information on in the Skills Formation Strategy contact Beth Wood on 07 4662 4063.