Comment
Niche service for mature workseekers expands
with Brian Shakes
We’ve been busy over the past few weeks since I wrote last time with finalizing the first stage of our COTA Over 50s Alliance policy and presenting it to the Minister for Ageing, Julie Bishop, and organizing for the official launch of the Alliance.
The Minister will be doing this on 12 October, with video links to all the Alliance partners, and as I write we are preparing and looking at photographs and historical footage – at the same time as business goes on as usual.
Meanwhile, Grace and Pauline of our workingconnections job matching service have been busy negotiating collaborative working relationships themselves, and this has led to the opening of the service’s first two Branch Offices. One is on the outskirts of Melbourne and the other in regional Victoria, and both will be run by long-time local residents.
The Nillumbik branch, covering the north-eastern area of Melbourne, started operating on 28 September, while the Ballarat office opened its doors on 3 October.
Nillumbik, which is run part-time by local IT specialist, Quentin Addison, was selected because of its strong home-based business economy, and its high level of professional under-employment. The Nillumbik Council fosters micro-business, so we see that workingconnections can provide a vital link there, connecting mature workseekers and contractors to small businesses – and of course to bigger businesses too.
As for the Ballarat Branch, it is being run by a long-time local businessman, Tim Gilfillan. We chose Ballarat for our first regional office because it’s an area with significant hidden unemployment, particularly among those 45 and over. Then there are also many early retirees living in the region, many of whom would love to connect with opportunities to do some paid work.
The statistics say that many small Ballarat businesses are finding it hard to attract skilled staff, while others could benefit from taking advantage of the professional mentoring and business development skills mature people can offer.
These branches are the first of a whole network of branches around the State and up and down the Eastern States. In fact, by the time this comment piece is published, we will be well down the track to opening a Sydney service, in collaboration with one of our Alliance partners, COTA (NSW).
So, as you can see, there is no grass growing under our feet at the Over 50s!
• Brian Shakes is chief executive officer of Over 50s Association.
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