Ginninderry’s SPARK training and employment initiative is expanding to provide courses in southern Canberra.

Delivered by the Ginninderry Joint Venture with the assistance of the ACT Government, SPARK provides training for Canberrans to help them get into work.

The first program in southern Canberra will be the SPARK Business Administration Pre-employment program run by CIT Tuggeranong. This Certificate II in Business will be heavily subsidised for up to 20 participants from the Capital region, with majority of program costs covered by the ACT Government’s Skilled Capital initiative.

Ginninderry’s SPARK programs are aimed at key disadvantaged groups who are disconnected from the labour market: youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, parents returning to work, mature aged people, veterans, long term unemployed and culturally and linguistically diverse people.

This expansion follows the success of the program in north Canberra, where it has delivered training to over 700 Canberrans, since 2016 – resulting in 266 work experience placements and 286 new jobs.

Through Ginninderry’s access to infrastructure works and other local projects, SPARK delivers vital ‘hands-on’ skills and helps people into employment in industries including: civil construction, home and building construction, horticulture, conservation land management, aged care, home and community care, disability services, childcare, retail and hospitality.

Ginninderry’s Training and Employment Manager Emma Sckrabei says that the SPARK program sets a new benchmark for developers when it comes to employment and training.

“Ginninderry is more than bricks and mortar, developments are more than just roads and houses – they are about people and community. The SPARK Training and Employment Initiative delivers economic opportunities to people across the Capital Region through a range of training programs, work experience and employment pathways.”

For more details on the SPARK program click here.