The Deadly Jobs Expo is coming to Fitzroy Crossing over the next two days, supporting a key economic priority of the Kimberley Floods State Recovery and Resilience Plan.
The Expo is part of what the WA government describes as its "commitment to the local community's flood recovery, and continuing work to ensure the government's statewide jobs and skills support for Western Australians reaches all corners of the state".
Fitzroy Valley job seekers are encouraged to get down to the Expo on 20 and 21 March, to connect with local job and training opportunities.
The Deadly Jobs Expo is "a great way for local people to get some free jobs and training advice from employers and local Jobs and Skills Centre services, and to find out more about training pathways to reach the next or first steps in their employment journeys", the state government said on Tuesday. This "includes the WA government's Job Ready pre-employment pathways, which is an innovative way to provide short, sharp training and connection with employers to help job seekers and young people to reskill, or upskill for work in industries that need skilled workers".
Job Ready Programs offer a new pathway to employment, apprenticeships, and traineeships.
The government said that ensuring ongoing training and employment opportunities is "central" in its strategies to "rebuild community capacity and social and economic resilience in the Fitzroy Valley, following one-in-one-hundred-year flooding in the Kimberley region last year".
Almost $900 million dollars in federal and WA government funding has been made available to support the Kimberley Region's long-term recovery from the social, economic, infrastructure and environmental impacts of the flood.
The Deadly Jobs Expo is being held alongside the Flood Hub Recovery Grants Open Day and the Department of Justice's Aboriginal Justice Open Day, a regular event assisting the community to access services that help with identification, fines and driver's licence enquiries, and a range of government services.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has a key role in developing and implementing the State Recovery and Resilience Plan and is working closely with the Department of Training and Workforce Development to lead the training aspects of the strategy, in consultation with the Fitzroy Valley Flood Recovery Working Group, North Regional TAFE, and other Government departments, to provide appropriate training programs and support for the region.
The Deadly Jobs Expo is being held at the undercover basketball courts next to the Fitzroy Crossing Recreation Centre.
Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna said the Expo "is great way for locals to access free training advice, so they can take the steps they need to land jobs that will not only help them, but their community, as it continues to recover.
"There is so much work out there in the Kimberley and beyond, and the Deadly Jobs Expo is another way we are helping local Aboriginal people take advantage of those opportunities," she said.
WA Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk said "training and employment can transform lives so it is only fitting that these opportunities form a major part of our plan to support the recovery and rebuilding of the Fitzroy Valley community".
"The Deadly Jobs Expo supports our ongoing initiatives to provide greater opportunities for Aboriginal people to participate in the workforce and benefit from Western Australia's strong economic growth," she said.
"We have ramped up practical support to help Western Australians of all ages and backgrounds access training and jobs.
"If you're in the Fitzroy Valley area, be sure to get along to the Deadly Jobs Expo to make a lifechanging choice by finding out more about local training and job opportunities."
WA Emergency Services Minister Stephen Dawson a priority of the state government's Kimberley Floods State Recovery and Resilience Plan is to build the resilience of the regional economy for future disasters.
"To achieve this we're focused on undertaking workforce development and support and the Jobs Expo is a great way to continue this program and assist the Fitzroy Valley locals," he said.
"Our government is steadfast in our commitment to working with the Shire of Derby/West Kimberley, Fitzroy Valley communities and Traditional Owners to empower a locally-led recovery process and to build back better."
More information about Deadly Jobs, including the Aboriginal Services Jobs Board, is online.
