ABOUT BRIDGING THE GAP
A BRIDGE ACROSS TURBULENT TIMES
When Fred Phillips ventured outdoors on a cold, gloomy day in Melbourne to buy a copy of the daily newspaper, he had little idea that his initiative and concern for others would, over time, result in the establishment of a national network working to assist others in their search for successful employment. His entrepreneurship would inspire individuals and organisations nationally and internationally to provide assistance and guidance to hundreds of thousands unemployed and distressed individuals.
During these daily walks in Noble Park, Fred noticed the same groups of unemployed young people congregating outside pinball parlours and newsagencies. Fred obtained the support of the local Member of Parliament, who offered Fred the use of his office while away in Canberra. He approached 52 senior executives of companies in the local community and urged an executive from each firm to become a "coach", enabling these young people positions and support within the company.
Fred sourced participants from local schools, asking teachers and staff to nominate students who might find seeking employment a difficult task, including those who found learning difficult and those who engaged in truancy. Fred then referred these young people to "coaches" in many different organisations. By Christmas that year, three months later, Fred had secured employment for 58 young people.
A committee of ten local business members was then formed and a constitution was drawn up. In March 1979, the Government provided funding and Bridging the Gap was created.
In time, the number of coaches and participating companies increased, and thousands of young people were now earning a regular income. People from different backgrounds, cultures and ages were being assisted by Bridging the Gap in their search for employment. As a result of it's success, Bridging the Gap aimed to open 12 other offices around the country - including 4 in Perth. Fred also opened an office in Slough, England. According to Fred, as of June 1987, 10,000 people who had visited the offices of Bridging the Gap, were engaged in full-time employment.
Larry Davis, a previous employee of the Department of Employment and Training indicated that the idea of Bridging the Gap came from the Rotary Club in Victoria who presented the notion to the Government in 1985. The WA Government then decided to fund the Bridging the Gap projects as a means of responding to the rising levels of unemployment. The Bridging the Gap vision fitted the belief of the Government that community-driven initiatives were the most likely programs to get the desired responses.
It was about the same time -1986 - that the JobLink concept took shape. JobLink was designed to assist people with career decisions, job applications and other employment related issues. The term job-linking refers to the strategy of using people who have pre-existing established networks to help people who do not have established social networks. JobLink was administered through approximately forty four community-based organizations which reflected characteristics of the local regions. An initiative of the WA Government, now there are 39 JobLink projects in the State.
Peter Kenyon, with the help of Molly Quinn, a community volunteer, set about creating Bridging the Gap in Rockingham/ Kwinana. Molly organised work experience for youth and established an information booth for job seekers in Rockingham City Shopping Centre before becoming the co-ordinator of Bridging the Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana located in Medina. Bridging the Gap was responsible for the contract under the State Employment Assistance Strategy (SEAS). They helped prepare resumes for clients and advocated for them with employers in order to get them work experience
A steadily increasing number of clientele, a large number of whom travelled to Medina from Rockingham, made it necessary for Bridging the Gap to enhance its profile in the Rockingham region. In 1996, part of the Bridging the Gap operations were moved to Lotteries House in Rockingham, with Barry Bolton in charge as manager.
Bridging the Gap was funded by the Department of Employment and Training of the Western Australian Government under its Skills West umbrella. As an community focused organisation, it has the support of the Rockingham and Kwinana councils, a number of local employers and service groups like the Rotary, Lions and Apex Clubs.
With this support, Bridging The Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana seized an opportunity to become an even more powerful entity within the local community when in 1998 Bridging the Gap was approached to join Jobfutures Ltd, a national organization formed after the demise of the Commonwealth Employment Service and Skillshare. Jobfutures is the only provider of Green Corps in the country, which means Bridging the Gap will be able to cater for some environmental programs.
In 1999, due to the success it had in delivering Federal employment programs to jobseekers, Bridging The Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana became a full member of Jobfutures. At that stage, Bridging The Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana was delivering job-matching which involved obtaining vacancies from employers and referring suitable jobseekers to the positions.
In 2000 Bridging The Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana was successful in it's tender for the JobSearch training contract, which included a component of job-matching. JobSearch training provides fifteen days of assistance and training in job search skills. Jobsearch training operates as a support system for jobseekers, providing them with the facilities and knowledge they need in order to gain full time employment.
Colin Kerr recalls that jobsearch training was initially structured to assist 200 individuals, but in 2002 that component has been extended to 400.
In keeping with the values and philosophy of its originator, Bridging the Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana has always maintained close links with the community.
In 1998, a Back on Track course was conducted for Year 10 students who were deemed to be "at risk". Following its success, two more courses were conducted for students at local high schools. Of the 29 participants, 22 returned to education/ further training or entered the workforce. The program was repeated successfully in 1999, with a focus on students from Safety Bay Senior High School.
In 1999, Bridging the Gap Rockingham/ Kwinana developed a close liaison with Kwinana Industries Council - Excellence in Education Compact, now referred to as the Kwinana Industries Education Partnership (KIEP). The sponsors of Excellence in Education Compact urged Bridging the Gap to tender for an Australian National Training Authority research and implementation project. Bridging the Gap submitted a successful tender and in 1999, was subsequently offered a program based on the Back On Track program, named Positive Pathways. This program focused on improving the life skills of clients and assisting them with job search activities and was extremely successful with a success rate of over 70% for the twenty individuals participating.
Also during 1999, the Department of Employment and Training instigated Profit from Experience, a programme designed to assist mature aged jobseekers (aged 45 and over) to re enter the workforce by providing them with access to individual support and training. Profit from Experience boosts the self-confidence and self-worth of mature aged jobseekers in addition to reiterating the valuable contributions these individuals can make to the workforce via their extensive experience and abilities.
The City of Rockingham offered Bridging the Gap the opportunity to participate in the administration of the Work for the Dole program which offered clients the choice of participating in several projects under the classifications of Heritage, Infrastructure, Environment and Reticulation.
In 1999-2000 Bridging the Gap strengthened its balance sheet with Federal Government contracts and the forming of new partnerships, resulting in the increased provision of services, exceeding the record for any previous year. A turnover of about $1 million was a three-fold increase over the previous financial year.
The financial year 2000-2001 offered JOBfutures a chance to grow even further and in order to accommodate it's expansion, Bridging the Gap moved to new premises at Hunsdon House on Council Avenue, Rockingham.
A major programme was undertaken by Bridging the Gap in 2000-2001 for the Australian National Training Authority, an arm of the Federal Government, to conduct research and run programmes for 25 students at risk of substance abuse.
In 2000, Positive Pathways was again implemented in the form of a 20-week course for youth "at risk". The program was supported with funding from Safer WA and the Lotteries Commission (Gordon Reid Foundation), enabling young people to develop the kind of skills needed to gain meaningful employment.
In 2000, Positive Choices, an accredited "Life Skills" program concentrating on personal development was offered to Bridging the Gap clients in addition to Career Builder, a computer based career counselling tool allowing clients to explore possible career directions most suited to their interests and skills.
In 2002 Bridging the Gap was successful in winning a contract to offer the Career and Transition Pilot Program funded by the Federal Government, Department of Education, Science and Training. There were two hundred and thirty eight applications across Australia, twenty-three of which were selected, including Bridging the Gap JOBfutures Rockingham Kwinana. The aim of the pilot program is to gather information regarding the career goals and career education of years 8 and 9 high school students within the local area. The program assists high school students with defining career goals and includes preparation for jobsearch activities.
U-Unlimited, a programme funded by the Department of Employment and Training of the WA Government, is a tool to explore options for employment. It was conducted 4 times and was beneficial to the participants.
General
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