Connection and co-design for Townsville youth jobs
Townsville's region-boosting project to spend local and increase youth jobs has marked its latest milestone, generating three big ideas to drive sustainable local employment for young people.
Q-SEED (Queensland Social procurement, Employment and Economic Development) is an 18-month initiative to transform Townsville through social, Indigenous, and local procurement.
Since July, CQUniversity Social Innovation has led co-design workshops for young people, youth organisations and employers, to build understanding and meaningful job opportunities.
At the final workshop of the year, at Smart Precinct North Queensland on Wednesday 4 December, the passionate group selected three key initiatives to pilot in 2025.
The concepts focus on improving mental health and wellbeing in workplaces, better promoting career pathways in schools, and culturally-supportive onboarding and induction toolkits.
Q-SEED Youth is facilitated by CQU Social Innovation Program Managers Steve Williams and Sara Brown, and supported by participant organisations Mike Carney Toyota, Port of Townsville, Wandarra, City of Townsville and Selectability Townsville.
Ms Brown said participants were invigorated by the co-design process.
"The co-design model is all about creating the space for the answers to surface – rather than asking participants, how can we fix this absolutely massive problem, we break it down into smaller issues, and develop 'how might we?' statements as a collective," she explained.
"It wasn't just about employers understanding young people, but young people understanding employers as well."
Transcript
SARA: Q-SEED Youth is trying to address the issue of youth unemployment in Townsville by creating maintainable and sustainable employment opportunities for young people through a co-design process.
SONIA: Before I had the mindset of like, employees don't really care about their employers. But once I've heard them speak about how they feel as well, it kind of changed how I was thinking as well.
ANTHONY: It was really good to have young people at the table, but also employers at the table as well. I guess my perspective changed around you know what each of those, sort of understood.
STEVE: To see young people over the series of workshops coming out of their shells and really beginning to articulate their own needs and wants for the process it's been a fantastic journey.
SARA: I also hope that it sparks different organisations to be able to come together to think about how they might be able to do this differently, and start making small changes that have a big impact for the young people of Townsville.
Cultural Engagement Officer at Engaging Pathways, Anthony Wotton, said having the diverse group at the table helped change perspectives, and what everyone understood about each other.
Deanne Tonkin is the People and Culture Manager at Selectability, a not-for-profit that supports young people through mental health services.
She said the process was positive for the participants.
"It's daunting for young people to find employment and meaningful employment and they're often subject to bad experiences ... but this process made jobs and job-seeking relatable and positive."
Youth participant Sonia agreed, and said she hoped the project would create more opportunities for teenagers to be heard. The wider Q-SEED project is led by CQUniversity and procurement specialists ArcBlue in partnership with Smart Precinct NQ, and aims to capitalise on the region’s $14 billion investment and infrastructure pipeline by growing local and social procurement.
Mr Williams said keeping procurement spending in the region could grow local jobs – and that Q-SEED Youth offered opportunities to make those roles sustainable and meaningful.
"I think it's a really good process, understanding challenges from the young people's perspective, and the employers' perspective ... and recognising it's really daunting for some young people to find employment, especially in that school to work transition.
Q-SEED is funded by Advance Queensland and The John Villiers Trust, and is collaborating with industry and business leaders across the region.
For more information visit the Q-SEED website.
