Following my Memorandum of 4th April, 1989 concerning the conducting of the Skillmax Program in the NSW public sector, 1 am seeking the co-operation of Ministers again in promoting the Program in all organisations within their portfolios.

The economic advantages of such a Program have been well demonstrated and 1 would like to encourage organisations to use this Program in order to fully utilise the skills and expertise of immigrant employees of non~English speaking background.

Skillmax courses develop communication skills identified as barriers to full employment. These include language for job-seeking e.g. resume writing, interview skills, research skills, cross-cultural communication skills and language skills for professionals. Sixty hours of training are offered, usually 4 hours a week. Where necessary a work experience placement is arranged for part of the course. The work experience component is of particular importance for employees of NES B who are employed in Jobs unrelated to their field of expertise.

Public sector employees who would benefit from Skilimax are:-

1. overseas qualified immigrants (professional, technical) working as clerks or electricians working as labourers.
2. overseas qualified immigrants working in positions related to their field but at a level which does not use their qualifications fully e.g. teachers employed as teachers aides or computer programmers working on data entry.

The Program can be modified to suit the needs of both categories of employees as well as organisational requirements. Public sector employers must arrange work release and a venue for classes and where required, particularly for category 1 employees, a suitable work experience placement. 1 will be asking the English in the Workplace Taskforce to co-ordinate work experience placements across the public sector. Later in the year I will be calling for a report from the Taskforce on the achievement of this objective.

All public sector organisations should take steps to locate potential Skillmax clients. Departmental EEO units are ideally placed to do this. Contact should then be made with the English in the Workplace Program, Adult Migrant Education Service which co-ordinates the Skillmax courses.

The Taskforce will be reporting to me later this year on progress by organisations participating in the Program, including work experience placements. In addition, the Office of the Director of Equal Opportunity in Public Employment in the 1989/90 EEO Annual Reporting will be gathering sector-wide information on successful outcomes of the Program.

Premier