Jobs help brings brighter future

Tracey Davies is confident about finding employment.

Mike Knott

AFTER four years working at Salmat's Bundaberg call centre Tracey Davies thought she would struggle to find another job after Telstra cancelled its contract last week.

With 107 Salmat employees due to lose their jobs at the end of April, Ms Davies said she thought times were about to get tough.

But after the announcement last week that the News Mail and Bundaberg Regional Council would both throw their weight behind a push to find new jobs for the Salmat employees, she was more optimistic.

And a joint state and federal government rapid response team arrived in Bundaberg yesterday for a series of meetings with the employees.

Members of the team sat down with employees to outline what help was available.

“I didn't think the community would be so supportive,” Ms Davies said.

“It's really humbling the way the community is standing behind us.”

She said she was sceptical at first about the help offered, but now she could see light at the end of the tunnel.

“I'm confident the majority of us will find jobs,” she said.

Ms Davies said she was hoping for a job in the clerical, sales or retail fields.

“I'm not as young as the majority of the staff,” she said.

“I'm 47, I've got two teenage children so there is a bit more urgency for me.”

Ms Davies said the rapid response team was there to let the staff know what packages had been put together for them.

“A lot of people may need to be retrained,” she said.

“They've been telling us to look at it as an opportunity to upgrade our skills to get a long-term job.”

Call centre manager Wayne Lovett said the council and the NewsMail's response to the situation had been a massive boost.

“They've been very proactive,” he said.

Mr Lovett said the company was also going a bit further than most would in looking after the staff.