On Wednesday the 19^th of January, HELP Employment and Training facilitated a half day recruitment event for the Princess Alexandra Hospital. Since 2019, the PA Hospital has worked in collaboration with HELP Employment and Training to successfully recruit staff across a variety of roles including cleaning, porterage and food staff. 

The partnership between HELP Employment and Training and the PA Hospital aims to change lives by offering disadvantaged jobseekers employment opportunities and the ability to obtain a qualification through on the job training and support. The PA Hospital and HELP Employment and Training run around four recruitment sessions per year, which has resulted in the successful employment of approximately 250 jobseekers since the program commenced with a successful staff retention rate of 92%. Initially jobseekers are employed on a casual basis, with the ability to transition to full time employment after a period of 12 months. The goal of the PA Hospital is to create a sustainable workforce with casual roles ultimately leading to full time employment. 

Each recruitment event focuses on particular groups of disadvantaged jobseekers in the community, many of whom live and travel from within the Logan Region. While recruitment events usually take place on site at the PA Hospital, in order to meet COVID Safe requirements, a larger space was needed for the event on Wednesday 19^th January. The RDA Logan and Redlands provided financial sponsorship for the event, which allowed it to proceed at the new location of the Twin Rivers Event Centre in Eagleby under COVID Safe conditions. 

The session was attended by 25 jobseekers and focused on recruitment of cleaning staff, however, some of the roles on offer were dual responsibility roles. 

All 25 prospective applicants who attended the event on Wednesday 19^th January were successfully employed by the PA Hospital and will commence their training in the coming weeks. 

To find out more about HELP Employment and Training click here. 

Our latest Report to the Region for October to December 2021 is on the website now.

Find out what's been happening around the Logan and Redlands region, including updates on:

• Building Better Regions Fund Round 6
• RDA Logan & Redlands commences research into regional skills shortages
• Information businesses and the community need to know about COVID-19 initiatives
• Inland Rail: Kagaru to Acacia Ridge and Bromelton (K2ARB)
• Building Partnerships
• Joint SEQ Regional Development Australia Activity
• Funding opportunities.

Click here to view the report.

The Hon. Gary Hardgrave, Chair of RDA Logan and Redlands, welcomes new Members Alexis Matthews-Frederick and Joseph Wallace. Mrs Matthews-Frederick and Mr Wallace were appointed to the Board on 19 October 2021 and join recently appointed Board members Terri Cooper, Cr Jacob Heremaia and Shane Rendalls and continuing Board members The Hon Gary Hardgrave, Kim Kerwin, Anne Livingstone, Dr Douglas Hunt and John Perry OAM. 

In welcoming Mrs Matthews-Frederick and Mr Wallace, Mr Hardgrave said “We are delighted to welcome both Alexis and Joseph to the Board of RDA Logan and Redlands and I look forward to working with them in the interests of the Logan and Redlands Region. The richness and diversity of the Board ensures a strong position from which we pursue the Region’s full economic and social potential.” 

Alexis is a first-generation refugee who arrived in Australia in 1981. After attaining a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Psychology and Sociology, Alexis specialised in Organisational Psychology and pursued her career in Human Resources. Alexis brings a wealth of knowledge of small business, having started her first business, “Professionails” at the age of 21. This business still operates today. Furthermore, she is a Health and Well Being Coach, Owner and Director of Think Feel Thrive, an online Health & Nutrition Business and is the Retail Champion for the Logan Chamber of Commerce. In her role as Retail Champion she is connecting with small businesses in Logan City to empower and support them in their growth. 

Joseph Wallace, or ‘Joey’, as he is known to his team and clients, is Managing Director of Multhana Property Services, based in south-east Queensland. Joey founded Multhana for the core purpose of engaging the local Aboriginal Community and providing training and employment pathways and career development opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Queensland cleaning, building and maintenance industry. ‘Multhana’ means “people coming together to help each other” in the Kalkadoon language, and perfectly sums up Joey’s approach to the business. 

For details of the RDA Logan & Redlands Board, go to https://rdaloganandredlands.org.au/about-us/board