JOLENE OGLE
Councillor Sandy Bolton has labelled the name of the Federal Government’s Work for the Dole scheme “demeaning” and “embarrassing”.
Originally implemented in 1997, the “Work for the Dole” (WFTD) scheme aims to get long-term unemployed people actively participating in work activities by working in local community organisations and councils.
The Abbott government last month announced an “enhanced” version of the original WFTD scheme, which focussed on equipping job seekers with “soft skills” such as punctuality and is due to start next financial year.
But Cr Bolton said while she supported any scheme that helped people find employment, she found the terminology “work for the dole” to be “demeaning” and “embarrassing for these participants”.
Instead, Cr Bolton suggested a change of name for participants to “Community Service Officers” and for any benefits paid to be considered wages for hours worked in the community.
“In essence, the term ‘unemployed’ would become obsolete, as the period prior to becoming a Community Service worker would be classified as ‘job transition’,” she said.
Cr Bolton said the scheme had the potential to help form a sustainable model for organisations and “increase their ability to deliver essential services to residents, promoting a caring and inclusive community”.
The scheme could also help with getting the Noosa Shire back into “tip top” condition through construction works such as pathways and park maintenance, Cr Bolton said.
But, United Synergies’ CEO Christopher John said it may not be a good time to reintroduce the WFTD scheme.
Mr John said while the scheme had the potential to provide an opportunity for people to re-engage in the workforce and re-learn essential skills, many long-term employed people faced other issues that could be barriers to employment.
Mr John also said the time spent on the WFTD scheme could also detract from time spent looking for paid employment.
“A recent review indicated that there was some evidence that this is the case for some people,” he said.
Challenges also arise in the expectation of organisations such as United Synergies to support the program by providing activities for WFTD participants, Mr John said.
“As a not for profit (organisation), we work within very stringent funding requirements and have very limited capacity to employ additional skilled workers to supervise ‘unskilled volunteer’ roles within our organisation or for ‘community benefit’ projects,” he said.
Mr John said it was a common misconception that community organisations have many unskilled roles that WFTD participants could take part in.
“The reality is that many, in fact the vast majority of our roles, are specialised, skilled or require significant experience,” Mr John said.
