“Shy” to centre stage for Townsville young people
A CQUniversity project has mapped sustainable new ways for Townsville workplaces to include and support young employees – and it’s grown confidence and skills for participants too.
For the past two years, CQUniversity’s Social Impact Lab has led Q-SEED Youth, working with a diverse group of local young people and employers including Townsville City Council, Port of Townsville and Mike Carney Toyota to co-design initiatives for youth jobs.
It’s part of the wider Q-SEED (Queensland Social procurement, Employment and Economic Development) project, led by CQUniversity and procurement specialists Proxima in partnership with Smart Precinct NQ.
While youth participants faced challenges including unemployment, unstable housing, disability, and mental health conditions, the supportive project has helped unlock new opportunities and aspirations.
Confidence for careers
Earlier this month, Q-SEED Youth participants Nova Whitmore and Alime Ali shared their experiences at the Social Impact Summit in Sydney, a national event for changemakers across not-for-profit, government and business sectors.
Alime said she’d been “shy” when she started attending project workshops, and unsure about her future career.
“When I first came here, people were talking, always positive… and I’m growing this positive (perception of) myself too.
“It’s helped me a lot with my confidence and other things,” she explained.
Migrating to Australia with her family just five years ago, Alime said she’d had limited experience with local employers before Q-SEED – but the workshops gave her confidence to share her experiences and ideas.
Now studying Social Work, Alime said she wants to help other young people, “to encourage them to just not give up and keep trying.”
Young people were paid for their time to participate in Q-SEED workshops, and participants made new connections with community and employers.
“The employers and the young people (got to) see new sides of each other, it was like a brick wall turned see-through and then it got cracked… and now it’s gone!” one participant said.
Co-design key
While Q-SEED has concluded, community-led blueprints developed by the project to continue to shape procurement processes and inclusive employment for the region.
The Townsville Impact Procurement Framework and Best Practice Youth Employment Toolkit were launched in May, and CQU in partnership with Townsville City Council continues to make them freely available to Townsville businesses.
Social Impact Lab Program Manager Sara Brown said involving young people in their co-design was a gamechanger.
“The toolkit is collection of ideas, practices, and reflections to adapt to your business, and to each young person you employ,” Ms Brown explained.
“Because it’s co-designed with local young people, so you can be confident you’ll be connecting with an approach that’s best-practice for learning, listening, and evolving.”
Q-SEED was funded by the Queensland Government, with Q-SEED Youth funding from The John Villiers Trust.
Lasting legacy
CQUniversity’s evaluation of the projects has highlighted success establishing the new North Queensland Procurement Network, and more local-first, inclusive procurement processes at Townsville City Council.
It also recommends more mentoring and training, after 24 local entrepreneurs grew confidence and commercial partnerships through the big-impact Tender Ready Program.
Townsville City Council Chief Procurement Officer Karl Gill says the project will see more local and First Nations businesses winning tenders for major projects, and capitalising on the region’s ten-year, $40 billion investment and infrastructure pipeline.
Learn more about partnering with the Social Impact Lab for transformative projects in your community.
