Recently, the Skills & Jobs Centre hosted an Industry Q&A on the Community Service Sector in Geelong.

Panel members included:

• Tara Lodge – HR, Barwon Child, Youth & Family
• Toni Gauntlett – Manager, Family & Community Services, Barwon Child, Youth & Family
• Christine Brooks – Networker, Barwon Network of Neighbourhood Houses
• Cathy Walker – Community Development, City of Greater Geelong

EMPLOYER SNAPSHOT: BARWON CHILD, YOUTH & FAMILY

• 315 employees in Geelong and Colac
• Only 15% of workers are male
• Merged to include a breadth of platforms to deliver services to families
• Focus on prevention and early intervention
• Early education, including at home care, foster care and residential
• Youth space includes justice and homelessness
• Headspace came on board last year
• Lots of different opportunities
• Roles are based on funding, so don’t be put off by contract positions.
• Family friendly employer, including the following options, which can be discussed at interview:
  • Job Share
  • ADO’s
  • Purchased Leave
  • Negotiable start & end times/hours worked
  • School Hours
  • Time in Lieu options
• Professional development & training calendar with lots of opportunities. Study leave is offered to continue study and upskill.

Key Attributes

• Teamwork – supporting each other.
• Emotional Intelligence – working with people to empower them, not doing but helping, working through it with them.

Job Opportunities

• From Childcare to Mental Health Nurses, Support Workers
• Bus Driver vacancy currently advertised
• Offers student placements
• Volunteering – Coordinator will match with areas in need.
  • Home tutoring
  • Supporting refugees
  • Foster Care Program
  • Volunteers to offer mentoring to help with homework or to take on outings e.g. fishing.
  • Contact Janet Mannix, the Volunteering Coordinator
• Alcohol & Other Drugs
  • Headspace
  • Youth Program in AOD
  • AOD Unit – Specialist Services
• Casual Jobs – advertised the same as ongoing positions and often based on funding.

How to apply

• All vacancies are advertised on the website.
• Also advertise on Facebook, LinkedIn, SEEK, Ethical Jobs and Deakin Jobshop.
• Email your resume.
• Must address Key Selection Criteria and it needs to be relevant to the Position Description.
• Outline what you can bring to the role.
• Need to have volunteer experience if you have no experience.
• Spell check and proof read.
• Can only apply online.
• Read the instructions.
• For Youth Services, need a Cert III or IV in Youth Services.
• For Childcare, a Cert III in Children’s Services.
• Looking for the right candidate, rather than hours you can commit, so contact them as they may be flexible.

Helpful Tips

• Volunteer if you have something to offer.
• Think about your life experience and how that might help someone else.
• Can’t teach you to be a good person, so present your personality in all stages of recruitment (telephone call, interview etc.)
• Looking at the person, rather than the qualification.

EMPLOYER SNAPSHOT: NEIGHBOURHOOD HOUSES

• 27 Neighbourhood Houses in the Barwon Region
• All Neighbourhood Houses are very different, as they respond to the needs of the community, ‘If you’ve been to 1 Neighbourhood House, you’ve been to 1 Neighbourhood house!’
• For example, Queenscliff offers specific Arts programs.
• Neighbourhood Houses are a central place to go for whatever you are interested in.
• Offers a central location to search all of the neighbourhood houses.
• All Centres run youth programs.

Key Attributes

• Flexibility
• Responsive to needs
• Open
• Approachable
• Welcoming & Inclusive
• Adaptable
• Professionalism
• Personality

Job Opportunities

• Co-ordinators to run the houses – 3 or 4 houses will be advertising for Coordinators in the next few months.
• Tutors run classes in a range of areas, including:
  • Technology, iPads
  • Cert III, IV & Diploma courses
• Volunteer opportunities – members are encouraged to volunteer and also become tutors. If you have an interest or skill, go to a Neighbourhood House to offer your skills. Also advertised through Volunteering Geelong and Give Where You Live.
• Childcare – both volunteer and paid positions. The Lorne Neighbourhood House is currently advertising for a Childcare Assistant.
• Gardeners – volunteer or paid positions.
• Reception/Administration.
• Wide variety of opportunities – make contact with your local Neighbourhood House to find out about opportunities.
• Help with resume writing, interview skills and gaining employment.
• Youth Programs – always looking for volunteers.

How to apply

• Need to address Key Selection Criteria (won’t interview if not addressed).
• Advertise in the Geelong Advertiser, Colac Herald and local papers (e.g. Echo & Surf Coast Times).
• Advertise on Ethical Jobs and sometimes on SEEK.
• Ads will also go out through the Neighbourhood House network.
• Posted on Social Media, including Facebook.

Key Tips

• Personality is more important than qualifications.
• No matter what your experience, think about what skills you learnt in that experience. For example, if you worked at KFC, think about the skills and qualities – customer service, team work etc.

EMPLOYER SNAPSHOT: CITY OF GREATER GEELONG

• 2^nd biggest employer in the Geelong region
• Employs 2,500 people
• Community Development area includes:
  • Case Management.
  • Supporting communities in need with a focus on Whittington, Corio, Norlane and Grovedale.
  • Developing Drug & Alcohol and Gambling Policy.
  • Promoting Diversity in the Community.
  • Police Based Team – works on the principle that there is nothing wrong with people, but that the system has gaps.
  • Working with services, like neighbourhood houses, on social enterprise and training.
  • Digital Inclusion Project in 3219 postcode – looking at the issue of low socio-economic areas having less digital inclusion, was previously externally funded but has now been funded by local council.
  • Understanding local and national policy and how that impacts on people.
  • Advocating to get change.
• Flexible employer, including options for:
  • Weekend work – festivals, events etc.
  • Working from home
  • Co-working spaces
  • Communicating in a variety of forms

Key Attributes

• Non-judgmental
• It is your whole life, not just your 9 to 5
• Passionate
• Fresh perspective
• Commitment to social justice

Job Opportunities

• Volunteering
  • L2P
  • YouthCan
• Student Placements
• Employs students and casual workers
• Youth Work
• Roads, Rates and Rubbish
• Casual opportunities in the youth area
• Traineeships

How to apply

• Advertised on Social Media & Online.
• Advertised in CAOS – weekly newsletter in Norlane/Corio that reaches 500 people.
• Advertised online on SEEK, Ethical Jobs and Info Exchange Jobseeker website.
• Need to have a Working with Children Check and Police Check
• Looking for who you are and that you have an understanding of what’s required.
• The contact name is always listed, so make contact with them, and ask 3 relevant questions, so they can look out for your name.

Helpful Tips

• Networks are fundamental.
• Work to build your reputation.
• Subscribe to council newsletters from the website.
• Don’t necessarily have to have the qualifications. Apply anyway if you have the skills and make the phone call to clarify with the hiring manager.

Industry Tips

• The industry is short of people, with a particular shortage in male role models.
• Casual and contract opportunities are ok as they can lead to more permanent work and get your foot in the door!
• Recruitment is more focused on who you are and what you are passionate about, rather than qualifications. You need to be the right type of person.