Exciting news!! - On Thursday night 3rd June our NGJC Ashwood College Permaculture Food Garden in Melbourne won the Monash World Environment Day Award for community leadership. This prize is sponsored by Visy, and comes with a cash component of (drum roll!) $3,000! The prize money goes directly to the project and will be used to build a recycled wood pergola in the garden. This award recognises the quality of projects we have happening under NGJC.

NSW NGJC projects: Last week I had the opportunity to visit our great NGJC projects in NSW with the Mountain Youth Centre at Katoomba and the Animal Welfare League at Kemps Creek where we have great groups of participants, supervisors and trainers all making these projects successful.

Seed of self-esteem flowers
Friday 14th May
Gardening | Michelle Carnovale

TUCKED away in a corner of Ashwood College’s ground, a group of young men have been working hard to develop a community garden.

Through the National Green Jobs Corps (NGJC) initiative, the men work three days a week on the expansive Ashwood Permaculture Food Garden and one day at Glen Waverley’s Holmesglen TAFE, to complete Certificate II in land management and conservation.

The course – a Federal Government initiative– was offered to a group of unemployed young men, aged between 17 and 23, to provide them with work experience and training opportunities in conservation projects. Aspiring landscaper Tom Shortall said he had taken the job as an opportunity to ‘‘expand my knowledge of work’’. ‘‘Permaculture sounded like a good idea,’’ Mr Shortall said. The 20-year-old said he was offered one of eight positions in the course by Max Employment, the Victorian co-ordinator of NGJC, and began on the garden six weeks ago.

‘‘I want to get back into landscaping and this looks like a different way to go down that road – we’ve learnt a lot about different plants,’’ he said.

The garden was originally set up three years ago by co-ordinator Mariette Tuohey, who has a background in Permaculture, and supported by the Ashwood, Ashburton and Chadstone Neighbourhood Renewal project.

Max Employment joins forces with Currumbin Wildlife to launch the First National Green Jobs project

Max Employment one of the providers of the National Green Jobs project launched the first national project at Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary on Wednesday 20 January.

The National Green Jobs Corp is a $77.6 million government initiative that offers a combination of environmental work experience, skill development and accredited training for youth aged 17-24 years. The program will equip an estimated 10,000 young Australians with the skills to fill employment opportunities in emerging green and climate change related industries.

NGJC is designed to engage disadvantaged youth particularly those in areas of high youth unemployment and young people who care about the environment, yet traditionally struggle to engage with and remain in education or training.

Michael Hobday Managing Director said :'This is an exciting initiative for MAX Employment to work in partnership with a local NFP green organisation in Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary to provide some fantastic opportunities for young people , who want to work in industries associated with the protection of the environment.'...'

The Currumbin Wildlife program will engage 20 local youths and equip them with a cert II in horticulture and land management, work preparation and skills development to support the sanctuaries ongoing operations in Wildlife preservation, education and flora and fauna research.

The project was opened by the parliamentary Secretary Jason Clare, CEO of CWS Jonathon Fisher and MAXimus CEO Rich Montoni.

The launch included a tour of part of the sanctuaries grounds with a forest walk to view the area of the sanctuary that participants will work in to eradicate noxious weeds and preserve several endangered plant species. The tour concluded at the CWS animal hospital where participants will be educated in relation to the recovery of native wild life from injury and illness.

If you represent a an organisation working in the Green Space and are interested in working in partnership with MAX Employment please contact our National programs Manager, Vicki Matheson on 1800 625 350 Or visit your local MAX Employment site. A list of MAX Employment Sites a listed on this Website. Click here to find an office.

Media to contact Scott Longmuir on 0430 700 672 for further details