The Willaston Football Club has introduced a pilot training program to help young people learn valuable work skills while supporting the club on match days.
The program is the brainchild of the Club Wellbeing Leader, Ms Karen McColl who saw an opportunity to help young people gain “employability skills” and support the club’s volunteer effort on match days.
Ms McColl said she was keen to strengthen the community connections for young people in the community with key volunteer-based organisations, and the job ready program was born.
Under the program, participants will help across several service areas associated with running a club on match day. Participants will help with the manual score boards, food preparation, customer service, cash handing and several other activities.
Ms McColl said the Club opened the job ready program up for any 12- to 14-year-olds who currently doesn’t have any paid work and live within the Town of Gawler and nearby surrounding areas.
“We are delighted that half the participants have come from outside the football club which enhances our culture of community connection”, said Ms McColl.
“We are most appreciative by the response from the local community and the positive feedback we have received in relation to this new initiative for the Willaston Football Club (WFC) as part of our Wellbeing Program”.
The program is supported by the Malinauskas Labor Government through a small employment ready grant with local Member of Parliament, Mr Tony Piccolo successfully lobbying for the grant.
Mr Piccolo said he thought it was great way to teach young people some valuable skills while they are engaged with one of the local sporting clubs.
Mr Piccolo congratulated the WFC for their imitative and said he was impressed with the growing importance of the wellbeing program at the club.
As part of the process the hopeful candidates were interviewed by Mr Piccolo and Mayor Karen Redman.
Ms McColl said the club was grateful for the support of the Government in supporting us to pilot this initiative.