A Bundaberg Jobs Commitment Success Story . L-R : Paul Piltz ( Best Practice Software ), Rebecca Egan ( Link & Launch ), Kirra Antrobus ( Best Practice Software ), Amber Lutter ( Bundaberg Regional Council ), Ben Artup ( Bundaberg Regional Council ) & Brendon Croft ( Best Practice Software ).
Acknowledging the importance of a strong resume , Kirra said she found the workshop beneficial .
“ Your resume is one of the most valuable tools to finding work . One of the first things employers look at is the objective paragraph at the top . Those few short sentences can be the difference between an interview and rejection .”
Brendon echoed the same sentiment and said that by participating in the Jobs Commitment , Kirra was given an opportunity to find out what potential employers were looking for , and ways that she could structure her resume to stand out .
“ Building an understanding of what employers are looking for is one stage of obtaining employment , and for some businesses the first foot in the door .
“ For Kirra , being able to articulate her strengthens , development needs , and self-awareness , along with the transferrable skills and knowledge she has collected in her very short journey provides employers like Best Practice Software a real perception of what they could be working with .”
Through a strong Jobs Commitment / Link & Launch partnership , Manager Rebecca Egan , was able to help Kirra land a traineeship through Best Practice after she finished school .
Kirra explained that her original career
path took a dramatic shift in the last term of Grade 12 .
“ Link & Launch helped me to get back on track and working somewhere I wanted to . Even after I started the process of getting a traineeship , Rebecca continued to support me throughout the process by setting up meetings , explaining things I didn ’ t understand and maintaining contact to check up on me .”
“ Link & Launch is the most helpful jobseeking resource I ’ ve worked with ”
For students looking to enter the jobseeking market , Kirra offers this advice .
“ The best advice I can offer is to network . Don ’ t be afraid to go to career fairs , networking events , or the boring assemblies schools hold with local businesses . I went from not knowing where to start , to going on a tour of the place I would eventually start a traineeship with just by going to an assembly .”
“ Talk to the businesses in town about work experience , see what volunteering you can do and join some clubs . You never know where a conversation will lead .”
The Job Commitment model is being adopted by other regions who are looking to emulate Bundaberg . The Queensland Minister for Employment and Small Business , Di Farmer recently announced the state government would be adopting the Jobs Commitment model on the Fraser
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
AMBER LUTTER Amber Lutter is an Economic Development Officer with Bundaberg Regional Council . Amber is responsible for the coordination and facilitation of the Bundaberg Jobs Commitment program since its inception in 2020 and is passionate about providing opportunity and creating change for the youth of the Bundaberg region . Amber ’ s role also covers the management of a variety of other Council facilitated projects and events , including the Hinkler Innovation Series .
BEN ARTUP Ben Artup is Executive Director Strategic Projects and Economic Development at Bundaberg Regional Council . He ’ s a qualified economist having graduated with an honour ’ s degree in economics from the University of Western Sydney in 2001 . His early career involved roles teaching economics and as senior researcher focused on the macro economy , regional innovation , and urban economics . He has also held roles in local economic development and corporate advisory . Before joining Bundaberg Regional Council , he was a Director with Deloitte Access Economics ( Parramatta ) where he consulted to some of Australia ’ s largest corporations and institutions helping them solve some of their toughest problems . Ben now lives in Bundaberg and is interested in building Australia ’ s best regional community .
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT JOURNAL VOL 15 NO 1 2022 23