Community Development Services

Working with the community to identify community needs and providing services of value is fundamental to Q.I.T.E.’s ethos. We have been part of the Tablelands community for over 21 years and we work consistently to build and maintain positive pro-active relationships with other community service providers, government agencies and local government.

We see our role as a conduit for community enhancement, and community progression is at the forefront of our philosophy and strategic planning.This has resulted in Q.I.T.E. providing services such as:

• A Q.I.T.E. funded Community Learning Program (CLP) for highly disadvantaged kids disengaged from school;
• working with State and Local Government to co-ordinate and deliver the Cyclone Larry Disaster Relief and Recovery program;
• supervised community work projects to range of environmental organizations;
• providing alternative schooling programs;
• sponsoring and supporting local initiatives in schools, sporting and health projects and charities events.

Our Community Development Services currently delivers:

• Farm and environment based horticulture programs
• Life coaching programs
• Youth programs
• Adult literacy and numeracy
• Indigenous programs

Our commitment to community collaboration is reflected in our organizations investing in staff to specifically work with the community and build strong networks which include active participation in:

• local community response groups
• homelessness and affordable housing forum
• social/community planning steering committees
• indigenous forums, workshops and response groups
• aged and the impact of local aging population forums
• transport and infrastructure response groups
• district youth achievement plan committee
• youth forums and disengagement workshops
• mentoring programs
• employer and industry reference groups
  

Our organization is also making a direct and economic difference to our communities by:

• recruitment of local staff
• employment related services including CDEP, Labour Hire and staff wages equating to almost $10 million for 2007/08.
• funding of a successful 100 Jobs in 100 Days campaign, creating employment for 100 jobseekers.
• running a school bus to ensure Indigenous children attend school, and by our:

Social Enterprises

These enterprises are established to meet needs identified within the community or as identified for disadvantaged target groups.Q.I.T.E. has provided seed funding and on-going subsidies where required to ensure a viable social enterprise can provided opportunities for supported work experience, employability skills training, industry training in ‘real-life’ work environment and first step employment.These enterprises include:

• Murri’s Delight catering
• Q.I.T.E. Childcare Centre (opening September 2009)
• Passenger Transport Service for workers
• Q.I.T.E. Timber Creations carpentry workshop.

Q.I.T.E. proudly represents the community on local, regional and national issues relating to training, employment and social inclusion to ensure our local community voice is heard.