If you’re a job seeker, returning to work, retrenched worker, apprentice, trainee or business looking for staff, our employment pathways hub, the South West Skills and Jobs Centre, has everything you need.

At our walk-in centres, we will help you with career management, resume and cover letter writing and identifying training and employment opportunities. Our staff can help you choose the right career or training option, get you started on your new path, show you what supports are available or help your business find the right apprentice or trainee. We work with individuals, industry, business and the local community, so if you are looking to train or reskill, the South West Skills and Jobs Centre should be your first stop.

The Pathfinders Skills and Jobs Centre is not a Job Service Australia organisation but will provide:

• Assistance with understanding your study options; TAFE study, university courses, apprenticeships, and traineeships.
• Personal career planning, including the training and qualifications you’ll need to make a start or make a change.
• Getting credit for your existing skills and experience through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).
• Learning about jobs in demand and employment trends.
• Finding a job, including advice on preparing your resume and how to apply.
• Access to other support services including financial advice or welfare assistance.

Located in the historic Courthouse at South West TAFE’s Warrnambool campus, the Pathfinders Skills and Jobs Centre offers the following job seeker programs to help you gain the skills to make you more employable:                                                   

• Youth Jobs Path - Get Ready for Work and Find Your Thing (Employability Skills Training)
• WorkReady
• Skills for Education and Employment
• English as Second Language
• VCAL Pathways Program

Reconnect Program

Campus: Warrnambool, Portland and Hamilton
Length: Individually mapped course dependant on student
Commencement: Throughout the year

The Reconnect program provides support to reduce barriers faced around participating in education. The program focuses on supporting participants to re-engage in training, leading to achieving educational goals.

Skills First Reconnect is focused on supporting learners:

• young people aged 17-19 who are early school leavers, not currently enrolled in school or any education and training program and/or full-time employment.
• long-term unemployed (unemployment of 12 months or more) people aged 20-64 without Year 12 or equivalent attainment (Senior Secondary Certificate or a Certificate II or higher qualification).

The Reconnect program is ideal if you have been out of education for a while and need additional support to engage in and complete the course best suited to your individual pathway.

Youth Jobs Path-Employability Skills Training

Block One: Build U
Block Two: Brand U

Campus: Warrnambool, Portland, Hamilton and Colac campus
Study mode: Full-time
Length: 3 weeks (each block)
Timetable: Four days a week
Commencement: Enrol any time

Free for registered job seekers.

These two blocks of three-week programs will help young, registered job seekers aged 15-24 years to increase their employability skills and become job ready.

Build U will help you learn communication, teamwork, time management, problem-solving, enterprise innovation and technology skills – all skills employers want.

In the Brand U block, you will learn advanced job hunting skills, interview skills, resume writing, harnessing social media platforms for employment purposes and cover letter skills. Industry awareness experiences will also be provided to help you explore which industry is right for you. On completion of these programs, you may enter an internship or gain paid work within an organisation.

Skills for Education and Employment (SEE)

Campus: Warrnambool & Portland campus
Study mode: Full-time
Length: 26 weeks
Commencement: Enrol any time

Free for registered job seekers.

SWTAFE’s SEE program offers a pathway to employment or further training, with assistance in reading, writing, numeracy, oral communication and learning skills. SEE will develop your digital literacy and employability skills.

You can use this program as a stepping stone towards a career or further study. While building your language, literacy and numeracy skills, you will explore career path tasters in a range of study areas.

You will be able to focus on the areas that you are seeking to improve. Eligibility criteria applies as this program is funded by the Australian Government Department of Education and Training.