A NEW business partnership between global recruitment giant Randstad and TAFE NSW South Western Sydney Institute (TAFE SWSi) will open up new employment pathways for TAFE SWSi students.

 

Randstad has been working with TAFE SWSi in providing recruitment solutions since 2005 but recently the two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to “explore opportunities for further partnership”.

 

TAFE SWSi Institute Director, Peter Roberts, said there were “so many different synergies” between the two organisations.

 

“The partnership with Randstad will benefit our job-ready TAFE SWSi students by providing them with employment pathways,” Mr Roberts said. “After all, Randstad is the second largest recruitment provider in the world. 

 

“Randstad recruits staff for a wide range of industries including health, child and disability care, leisure and fitness, manufacturing and transport and business and finance; and many of these industries need workers with the skills which TAFE SWSi courses can provide them with.

 

“In some industries, workers may have some on the job experience but not the formal qualifications required when organisations like Randstad are seeking to recruit workers for those particular industries,” Mr Roberts said.

 

“That’s where TAFE SWSi can step in and provide the training which will give these workers the formal qualifications required.”

 

Under the terms of the MOU: “Randstad and TAFE SWSi will investigate prospects to promote each other’s services to students, business and the industry. They will “work with TAFE SWSi’s Community, Health, Hospitality and Service Skills (CHHASS) faculty and students to identify career progression and entry into the workforce via Randstad’s services”.

 

The partners will also “share opportunities to be present at each other’s events; promote services to their respective websites; and work to further TAFE SWSi student recruitment opportunities.

 

Leading up to the signing of the MOU, TAFE SWSi and Randstad last year combined forces to organise and run the “Reach for the Stars” disability athletics carnival.

 

Jaclyn Lindsay was one of the TAFE SWSi students who participated in the event as part of her disability course.   

 

“I had a ball,” Jaclyn said. “I had to help our (disabled) clients in the races, get their lunch trays, etc. and generally make sure that everything ran smoothly for them.”

 

Jaclyn worked with vision-impaired clients on the day which really opened her eyes to a side of the disabled community that, she said, was “rarely visible” to the general community. 

 

“It was a real awakening for me,” Jaclyn said. “The Carnival helped break down the pre-conception that all disabled people are in institutions rocking back and forth in their wheelchairs.

 

“You realise they’re just like anyone else; they’re really happy, funny and they all had a great time.” 

 

Jaclyn has completed a Cert IV in Mental Health and Cert IV in Disabilities. She is now doing a Diploma in Community Services and Case Management while also working as carer for the disabled.

 

 

www.SWSi.edu.au