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Latrobe R.A.O.B. Club

Direct community involvement continues with work experience, under the Australian Government’s Work for the Dole Programme, well under way at the Latrobe R.A.O.B Club. Participating jobseekers are busy converting a basic outdoor entertainment area into a fully covered, all weather amenity to service the Club members and the Latrobe community.

May 2006 - The initial phase of this multi-stage upgrade is well underway with concreting and external access to the area completed. Work experience is now concentrating on metal fabrication and welding skills to enable the construction of the over head cover.

June2006 - Work on the covered outdoor area is well on the way to completion with the supporting frame work and roof structures in place. Participants have been busy developing work skills in plan interpretation, measurements, metal cutting, welding and general metal fabrication skills.

August 2006 – Progress on the covered outdoor area has been steady with the Team also involved in public works supporting the local Latrobe Council. This is providing a wide variety of skills and the participants are visibly proud of their achievements.

January 2007 – The rejuvenation of a safe and inviting family recreational area for the RAOB Club is progressing well. Plans have been drafted to allow the Work for the Dole participants to improve the existing, rather drab, area with the addition of underground drainage, coloured paving and landscaped gardens. The addition of a toilet facility will also enhance the family area to cater for community members. Pictured is the initial earthwork required to begin the paving work.

May 2007 –Participants have continued to prepare the site for paving with drainage and levels all set to ensure a successful paving operation. The team has now completed the section within the covered area and is rapidly progressing with the laying of the final piece of the ‘puzzle’. They are all set to begin the construction of the roofing of the area that previously contained the old wood, now part of the redevelopment to provide an all weather spit roast facility. We can almost taste the suckling pig as it roasts to a golden brown at the function planned to mark the handover of this new facility to the R.A.O.B Club!

October 2008 - A Work for the Dole construction team is well on the way to providing a local community club with additional storage and toilet facilities and also building a future for themselves within Tasmania’s growing construction industry.

After gaining practical ‘on the job’ training in laying the concrete slab these budding builders are now well into the framing stage of the project.

The jobseekers, many who do not have happy memories of their past formal education, revel in the ‘hands on’ approach adopted by Nick Bird, their building supervisor from Youth and Family Focus. Nick has been supervising Work for the Dole activities for the past five years and has been instrumental in many past participants gaining work in Latrobe.

The Community Solutions manager for CHOOSE Employment, Mr. Ian Fawkner commented, "The current Work for the Dole funding allows Australian Government funding to address our local skills shortages in a very real and effective manner. What you see here is practical government policy at work, meeting real community and individual jobseeker needs."

At the current rate of progress, completion of this multi phase, community activity will take place prior to a major revamp of the current successful Work for the Dole Programme in July 2009.

 

December 2008 - The Business & Employment/Youth and Family Focus Work for the Dole team have been busy at play, well the creation of a community play area to be more specific.

The ongoing improvements to the Latrobe Community RAOB Club has the local children ‘highly excited’ and keen to put the new play equipment to good use.

The team has only to prepare the mandatory soft fall area prior to handing the facility over to the eager children.

They plan to have the soft fall in place well before the visit by Santa, who as custom demands arrives early upon the local fire truck, to deliver the annual supply of presents to the ‘good’ children of Latrobe.

January 2009 – The CHOOSE Employment Work for the Dole construction team is progressing the Club extension with the arrival of internal and exterior cladding.  

Many jobseekers have moved through the project, some gaining employment while others have elected to continue formal training in the building industry.

Trade suppliers will soon be completing the electrical and plumbing work with jobseekers acting as trades assistants.