Victorian program aims to get over-50s into care, disability jobs

Information sessions will be held in St Albans, Caroline Springs, Melton and Sunshine in February.

The Reach, Train, Employ project enables training for jobs in the aged care and disability sectors to meet a growing demand of more than 17,000 jobs in Victoria by 2023.

Two groups of participants will have the opportunity to complete Certificate III level training over 12 months, which includes 150 hours of job placement.

Led by COTA Victoria in partnership with the Future Social Services Institute at RMIT University and Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand, the project is funded through a $600,000 federal Department of Social Services grant.

COTA project team leader Wennie van Riet said other training and support offered alongside the Certificate III course aims to prepare and equip participants for training, and for gaining employment after completion.

"Most people aged 50 and over haven't been inside a classroom for years, and some people in older age brackets aren't too familiar with technology," she said.

"One day a week training will be online and there is pre-course training in IT skills and the use of the internet. Participants get an iPad to use for the duration of the course.

"One of the first modules is about learning how to learn. It will be a big change for most participants so we're providing a range of other support, like employment assistance, IT and digital literacy, financial counselling and employment placement.

"We're also expecting a high level of interest from people with non-English speaking backgrounds."

The information sessions are: February 4, 10am-12.30pm, Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand in St Albans; Feb 6, 1-3.30pm, Caroline Springs Library and Learning Hub; Feb 10, 1-3.30pm, Melton Library and Learning Hub; Feb 12, 6-8.30pm, Brimbank Learning Futures in Sunshine.

For more information click HERE or call Wennie van Riet on 0499-224-000.