SKILLS LEARNED GIVE NEW HOPE

WARREN JONES

Jeffrey Davies of Dapto will be making an impact of a number of lives this Chistmas as one of 20 participants in the Work for the Dole Carpentry and Joinery Workshop at Wollongong City Employment and Training (WCET).

The participants have spent the last few months building high quality toys to be given away by local charities, while learning drawing skills and how to use specialised tools.

Mr Davies said he had always wanted to do woodwork and using the experience he gained through the program, he hoped to find a job in carpentry or construction.

“The toy trucks we made through the program took about 50 hours of work in total to complete,” he said.

WCET Work for the Dole Manager Lyn Watkins said many of the people in the programs tended to face more than one barrier in their quest to find secure employment.

“The participants have learned practical skills and have raised their confidence in the process.

“Work for the Dole projects are important to the community,” she said.

Caption - Work for the Dole participants Stephen Cairns of Woonona and Jeffrey Davies from Dapto, showing off some of the toys they made for local children.