The City of Mandurah has taken it upon itself to tackle high unemployment rates and Mandurah’s struggling economy through a series of free entrepreneurial workshops.
Mandurah Mayor Marina Vergone said the entrepreneurial program was part of the City’s contribution to growing the local economy.
However, she called on the state and federal governments for assistance.
“The entrepreneurial program provides community members with an opportunity to generate their own employment and create their own future,” she said.
“We know that Mandurah’s economy is struggling and we are committed to playing our part, but we can’t do it in isolation, we need the state and Australian governments’ assistance.”
In August last year, a report by stockbroking firm CommSec showed that Mandurah had the second highest unemployment rate in the nation.
After leaping up to 16.2 per cent in August, the jobless rate was still sitting at record highs in September at 11.5 per cent.
The City of Mandurah’s entrepreneurial program hopes to revert the situation by assisting unemployed residents in creating their own jobs and gaining economic independence.
The program, which is one of the first of its kind in Australia, started in 2014 and focuses on teaching residents lifelong business skills through custom-made workshops.
Since 2014, the workshops have taught mums, artists, migrant women and unemployed residents how to start their own business, become their own boss, develop an idea and make a profit out of their own businesses.
More than 430 participants have already taken part in the initiative, developing 41 full-time businesses such as Orthomed Australasia, Sunday Soldiers, Bake by Erica and Divine Cakes.
According to the City of Mandurah 75 percent of all the participants registered an ABN, most trading part-time, and it is estimated that the 41 full-time businesses will inject $4.74 million into the local economy.
The workshops focus on how to design their own job and become their own boss, changing mindsets, teaching lifelong skills and supporting participants to develop and implement their business ideas.
The City’s entrepreneur workshops include:
- Shirts with Attitude: A nine-week intensive program to encourage unemployed people to tell their stories through designing t-shirts. It will also teach participants how to build a following through social media. The workshop will be held in May.
- Mumpreneur 101: An eight-week intensive program to teach local mums how to develop their own business ideas through digital marketing, time management, networking and well-being initiatives. Currently under way.
- Creative glass recycling: A 16-week program for young unemployed people to learn how to understand consumers, identify market opportunities, create an attractive marketing system and develop an effective sales model and online strategy through hands-on workshops on creative glass recycling and adding social value to everyday products. Late 2017.
For more information on how to get involved with the entrepreneur programs, call the City of Mandurah on 9550 3777.
Marta Pascual Juanola
Photojournalist from Barcelona, currently based in WA. Five languages speaker: English - Català - Español - Norsk - العربية.
Photojournalist from Barcelona, currently based in WA. Five languages speaker: English - Català - Español - Norsk - العربية.
