Employment organisation Real Futures opens new Geraldton office to help young people find work

Employment group Real Futures has opened a second office in Geraldton to help young people find work and start careers. The organisation will provide its service as part of the Australian Government’s Transition to Work program, a scheme to help young people aged 15-24 find employment. The organisation held an open day on Thursday to give stakeholders an idea of the work they did at their new office. Real Futures helps young people with training, mentoring and apprenticeships to help them develop the skills to get a job, with an emphasis on sustainable opportunities. Even the little things that can get in the way, such as helping with lifts and providing lunches, are done by the organisation. Vanessa Kelly, Real Futures’ Transition to Work program manager, said the organisation had been working closely with a wide variety of companies to hone its training, making sure it was relevant to what employers were looking for. Ms Kelly said many young people were eager to work, and many companies were looking for workers, but there was a gap in training that young people needed help with. “What we do is work with employers, we ask them ‘hey can you give them an opportunity for some on-the-job training,’ and we provide the extra support,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of employers indicate they would take on a young person as long as they are supported.” “I think if we can convince employers to take on these young guys, they’re going to end up with some really strong employees.” Mrs Kelly said the group worked with young people to find a job that suited them. “They can be quite surprised when they are given the option to let us know what they career path want,” she said. The group is currently helping 24 young people find work in fields such as mining, retail, hospitality and nursing. If you are a young person who wants to work, or a parent who wants to help their child get a job, Ms Kelly said to come in for a chat. “The doors are always open,” she said.