Vital Funding Injection to Support Vulnerable Australians into the Workforce | Australia
March 14th 2023
Not-for-profits, Generation Australia and Paul Ramsay Foundation unite to break the cycle of disadvantage.
Education-to-employment pathways provider Generation Australia has formed a partnership with Paul Ramsay Foundation to support those who have traditionally faced barriers to employment.
The three-year, $1.7 million funding investment from the Paul Ramsay Foundation will enable Generation Australia to provide targeted training to support those who are not currently engaged in education or employment. In particular, the grant will target youth and parents, aiming to break the cycle of disadvantage.
“Australia is currently in the midst of the fastest-growing annual increase in the cost of living since 1990. New pathways are required to support young people and parents, to gain financial independence and establish careers they can grow and excel in,” says Malcolm Kinns, Chief Executive Officer, at Generation Australia.
“Our programs are designed to break the generational cycle of unemployment to build new capabilities within families,” says Mr Kinns.
Paul Ramsay Foundation is one of the largest philanthropic organisations in Australia and aims to enable opportunities for people facing systemic disadvantage to thrive. The funding grant will extend the reach and impact of Generation Australia’s current training model to further support underrepresented groups including youth, migrants, women, First Nations people and people with a disability.
“Generation Australia and Paul Ramsay Foundation share the belief that with the right training and support, a person can change their future and the future of their family,” says Mr Kinns.
Josie Khalil, Head of Employment at Paul Ramsay Foundation, agrees and believes the partnership between the two organisations will have immense power to support people into the workforce.
“Generation Australia’s demand-led approach is unique in Australia and is what attracted PRF to the partnership.”
“They’ve been able to create great employment outcomes for people overcoming barriers to work by collaborating with Australian employers to connect people (workforce supply) and jobs (demand),” says Ms Khalil.
Generation Australia’s holistic approach combines technical and behavioural skills training, increasing the chance of program completion and employment success. Current courses aim to identify those with a particular desire to work in the tech sector where there are ample employment and career progression opportunities.
Entry level candidates for web development, cybersecurity, data analytics, cloud computing and Salesforce are all in high demand.
Generation Australia programs have a graduation rate of 80 per cent, and close to 80 per cent of graduates secure employment within 6 months. Additionally, those who secure a job following the program typically triple their earning power for their first role.
“Our post-program wraparound support is unique compared to other vocational programs. Embedded into our programs are our incredibly strong relationships with employer partners from top organisations such as Telstra, Avanade, Accenture and Microsoft.
“By working upfront with employers to identify gaps in the market we can build new talent pipelines of diverse candidates. This holistic approach ensures Generation Australia graduates make an impact when employed from day one,” says Mr Kinns.
“We look forward to working with Paul Ramsay Foundation to deliver support to those who need it most, allowing more Australians to find and excel in sustainable life-changing careers,” concludes Kinns.
