'Building Bridges' Program

'Building Bridges' Program

Published on 08 October 2020

In 2019 the Burnie City Council commenced the ‘Building Bridges’ program, funded by the Federal Government and targeted at Mature Age Jobseekers in the Burnie area. The program has now resumed after the interruption of COVID-19 and it will continue on until at least June 2021.

The Building Bridges project is part of the $96.1 million Try, Test and Learn Fund which includes trialling new or innovative approaches to assist older job seekers onto a path towards stable, sustainable independence.

Building Bridges is an innovative employment initiative targeted toward mature jobseekers aged 45 years and over in the Burnie area. This local initiative, co-designed by Burnie City Council, local businesses, services and mature jobseekers, leverages Burnie City Council’s community connections to address workforce participation issues for older workers through direct engagement with regional employers.

The aim of the Building Bridges initiative is to improve employment opportunities and outcomes for job-seekers aged 45+ in the Burnie region through a series of activities that:

link local employers with mature age jobseekers;  raises awareness of the benefits of employing mature aged jobseekers; provides an appropriate space for employers to address jobseekers in a group setting (adhering to COVID-19 rules and regulations); provides mature age jobseekers with one-on-one mentoring sessions to address their individual needs; give local employers the opportunity to take on a job seeker for a 4 week work placement (through the National Work Experience Programme) and “try before they buy”; and

The Building Bridges project focuses on outcomes such as increased confidence and networking skills for mature age jobseekers; increased workforce participation and more positive employer attitudes.

The program is a great example of a local community working with the Federal Government to design a program to meet local needs.

There are many mature aged people in our community who struggle to re-enter the workforce for a number of reasons. This program is designed to support these job seekers through intensive support, networking opportunities and a community campaign to highlight their value to employers.

The overarching aim of the project is to foster a greater awareness of the value of mature age jobseekers to employers and to build a greater number participating in employment in the Burnie region.

“Council looks forward to the continuation of this program from now and through to June 2021.”

If you are a mature age jobseeker interested in one-on-one mentoring in a confidential private location or you are an employer interested in hearing more about what you can gain from being involved in this project then please contact the Project Coordinator. You can find these details on the Burnie City Council’s webpage: www.burnie.net/buildingbridges