New Government initiative is supporting parents to return to work

The doors opened at 9am at the Bankstown and Condell Park offices of ParentsNext where parents will be supported to prepare for employment by the time their youngest child reaches school.

ParentsNext is an Australian Government initiative that SSI and Metro Assist will deliver in the Bankstown local government area. The initiative will operate in 10 Local Government Areas across Australia and it forms part of the Australian Government’s Growing Jobs and Small Business Package.

SSI and Metro Assist are community-based, not-for-profit organisations with experience in helping individuals and families with parenting, family and disability support, employment, tenancy issues, accommodation, and women’s and refugee settlement services.

SSI CEO Violet Roumeliotis said that although becoming a parent and raising young children is a wonderful and rewarding experience, it can mean many years out of the paid workforce.

“Our staff will work with parents to help identify their goals and develop skills so that they can make their transition back to work more easily,” Ms Roumeliotis said.

Metro Assist CEO Lou Bacchiella said his organisation had a number of practical employment support activities to help parents gain skills and qualifications that would help them become job-ready.

“With 30 years in assisting local communities we are very pleased to have been selected as a ParentsNext provider. The program sits well with the range of services we provide and we have strong local connections to make it accessible,” Mr Bacchiella said.

ParentsNext will work with referrals from the Department of Human Services, as well as voluntary participants. All participants must live in the Bankstown local government area.

ParentsNext staff will work closely with parents to help them identify their education, training and employment goals and the barriers to achieving them. Through this process, a Participation

Plan will be developed and staff will be available to parents to provide the support required.

ParentsNext is located at:

SSI Bankstown
Level 2, 462 Chapel Road Bankstown
Ph: (02) 8713 9343
And
Metro Assist Condell Park
43 Simmat Avenue Condell Park
Ph: (02) 9790 1766