Yarrabilba News Spring 2020

The Exchange celebrates 1,000 jobs with a new home for expansion Minister Shannon Fentiman and Member for Logan, Linus Power with representatives of DESBT, LCC, Access Community Services and Lendlease at the new location of The Exchange on Darrau Avenue The Exchange is a project initiated by Lendlease and delivered in partnership with Access Community Services. Supporting skills, jobs and enterprise programs for residents in our growing community, The Exchange commenced operations in a temporary building on the Shaw Street Oval in December 2016. Their purpose is to connect local people to local jobs, as well as facilitating the delivery of several other community services (Parents Next and Disability Employment Service programs). “Since its beginnings in December 2016, The Exchange has become the ‘go to place’ for local residents seeking employment, training or community services” Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, Shannon Fentiman, recently congratulated Access Community Services and Lendlease for the success of The Exchange while officially opening their new expanded premises. “Since its beginnings in December 2016, The Exchange has become the ‘go to place’ for local residents seeking employment, training or community services,” Ms Fentiman said. “Up until the end of July this year, more than 2,300 job seekers had registered with The Exchange, 334 people had commenced training and 1,054 people had been placed into employment – that’s four jobs every five days”. This celebration of the 1,000 job milestone was delayed due to COVID-19 and now coincides with the move from the temporary building at Shaw Street Oval to the refurbished former Lendlease sales office at Darrau Avenue. “The move will allow for the development of new programs to meet the post COVID-19 needs of a young community with a diverse population, which is expected to reach more than 45,000 people by 2040,” Ms Fentiman said Access Community Services group CEO Gail Ker said over the next 12 months, “in addition to continuing to grow the local employment assistance service, The Exchange will further expand services to include school to work transition initiatives for local high- school students, small business intender support for local people looking to start-up their own business, and develop networking opportunities for the growing number of home-based businesses in Yarrabilba. We will also establish a study centre for local post-school students who may require access to computers for study and assignments, and, provide a suitable training space for more courses for local people,” Ms Ker said. “We will continue to expand social enterprise business opportunities by collaborating with local social enterprises, Lendlease and governments.” Lendlease Development Director Michelle Wooldridge congratulated The Exchange manager Diana Bryson and the Access team for their dedication to placing local mature-age job-seekers into work. The recent external evaluation of The Exchange was very favourable, due in great part to Diana and the team at Access, as well as the ongoing commitment of our local stakeholders who provide valuable insight and intelligence via our Workforce Development Group. “As Yarrabilba grows and matures as a community, so does the need for The Exchange to evolve to meet emerging opportunities, and we look forward to the next chapter of expanded services in skills, jobs, and enterprise,” Ms Wooldridge said. We are extremely proud of The Exchange model, a successful initiative that Lendlease see as being replicable on their similar projects in other parts of Australia. As Access is still operating remotely via phone and social media under their current Covid Safe plan, it is recommended that you book an appointment with Diana during this time. Up-to-date information regarding opening hours can be found at www.facebook.com/ YarrabilbaJobsExchange/ If your local small-business or home-based business would like to know more about the services at The Exchange please email terry.hamilton@lendlease.com for regular updates.