 WORK for the Dole recipients will no longer be paid for studying interpretive dance, carving wooden toys for charity or learning to act, under a revamp of the system.
| Awww, hell! There goes my career... |
The shake-up will steer unemployed people into courses and work that will provide them with the skills to help them get a job.
| "You mean, like, work? Eeeewwww!" |
Workplace Participation Minister Peter Dutton said yesterday he would crack down on Work for the Dole programs that failed to provide recipients with the appropriate skills. Since the program began in 1997, 352,000 people have participated in community-based projects, including landscaping, construction, building maintenance and administrative work. The "soft" programs will be scrapped under the nationwide review. "I want Work for the Dole to concentrate even more on providing skills to job seekers in areas where there is locally a high demand for jobs with those skills," he said.
| Y'mean there ain't much demand for interpretive dancers? |
"While most Work for the Dole projects reach this objective, the program can be even more targeted. I don't think 'interpretive dance' courses in Ingleburn ... are the best way to meet the skill demands Australia is currently experiencing."
| Ummm... How many openings for dancing girls are there? |
A ratings system also will be introduced to measure the performance of community providers, to determine how many participants are getting jobs at the end of their programs.
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