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Case Study:
IPS provides unique legacy programs that will provide enduring socio and economic benefits to the local community and wider communities. Our programs are designed to provide lasting opportunities for the participants long after the conclusion of a project. The IPS team facilitated the OnTrack Employment Program for the Armadale Line Upgrade Alliance (ALUA) and METRONET.
The seven-week OnTrack Employment Program is helping to carve out careers for entry-level unemployed work-ready individuals in the rail industry, by delivering training and employment opportunities to build the participant’s knowledge and skills in reading and maths, managing money, understanding different cultures and mental health, communicating, handling conflicts and using small tools and equipment. With these new skills in hand, trainees are then offered help to find jobs or apprenticeships. A vital component of the program is the acknowledgement of socio-economic barriers that will need to be understood and overcome for participants who have been unemployed for any period, with specific focus on the known barriers for diversity groups and cohorts. Participant Brendan Davies said his favourite part of the Program was the Thrive Life Skills, which helped him think about his values, set goals and have honest conversations: “We talked about the challenges we have faced, and I realised many of us had similar stories. For me to overcome these challenges I had to change my way of thinking. It was hard but I compare it to fixing a house: when a house falls apart you start with the foundation and not the roof, and the program gave me that strong base.” Brendan was one of 13 trainees to successfully complete the first round of the program. He was so successful he was hired by IPS as the OnTrack Employment Program Coordinator. The OnTrack program has now seen its third cohort of graduates realise their goals and move into sustainable employment. The OnTrack Employment Program is aligned with the ALUA’s Sustainable Employment Plan which aims to achieve 4 per cent of total project work hours undertaken by First Nations people and 5 per cent by entry-level work-ready individuals. The program has been designed to provide entry level workers lasting skills to increase their employability and to increase skilled workers in the Perth Metro Region for future projects. The program is open to First Nations people, female job seekers, older job seekers (45+), young people aged 16 to 24, people from diverse cultural backgrounds, and former prisoners. Sustainable Employment Program lead said the program was a win-win for participants and the project: “While the participants gain essential skills in financial management, literacy and numeracy, cultural safety and communication, as well as on-site experience operating small plant and equipment, the VPC LXR project also gains access to accredited work-ready employees and contributes to increased equity and diversity in the civil construction industry overall.” |
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IPS Management Consultants acknowledges the Traditional Owners and Custodians of Country throughout Australia, and their continuing connection to land, water, and community. We pay our respects to Elders both past and present, and we extend that respect to all First Nations people.
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