City of Newcastle has unveiled funding to help local businesses make the most of the city’s emerging economic potential.
$400,000 is being put towards training programs for business owners, workers and entrepreneurs to help them capitalise on great ideas, brush up on their digital skills to boost business and provide better access to their services.
The training will be provided through Council’s NewSkills program and delivered by specialist providers over the next 12 months.
The initiative follows on from the city’s Product Development Mentoring Program which helped 15 local businesses boost their tourism profile and improve Newcastle’s appeal to visitors.
It’s hoped the program will encourage employers to be more inclusive by providing more opportunities for workers with a disability.
Patrick Bellamy from Adamstown disability service provider Clear Paws says it’s great to see Council investing in programs encouraging better inclusion.
“Employment training opportunities for people living with a disability are very limited in Newcastle, so we made the decision to open Clear Paws, which provides a supportive caring environment for those living with a disability to develop employability skills.
“People with disability bring a range of skills, talents and abilities to the workplace. We see Clear Paws as a launching pad for its participants to make the transition to employment.”
More details on the program can be found at Council’s website.