House debates

Monday, 26 October 2020

Statements by Members

Project Displaced

4:15 pm

Photo of Tim WilsonTim Wilson (Goldstein, Liberal Party) Share this | | Hansard source

We should fight for Australians who want the dignity of work and the independence that it provides. That's the foundation of liberalism—the empowerment of individuals. And that is what Project Displaced does. It helps get young Australians back into work. Project Displaced is an initiative established by Ant Cohen in March, after he lost his senior leadership role at Qantas after 20 years of service. Ant has brought together a network of career counsellors and coaches, recruiters and mental health specialists to help young Australians impacted by COVID-19 get back to work.

Recently, the Goldstein team held a panel discussion with Ant and two other Project Displaced leaders, Lois Freeke and David Vincent, who laid out concrete advice for young Australians to rebuild their careers. They highlighted that many young people have transferrable skills and should not be afraid to pursue jobs in different industries. They also pointed out the importance of relationships: it is better to build and leverage your network than rely on an online algorithm.

The services offered by Project Displaced are free and available to anyone who seeks them if they are in need of assistance. There are tough times ahead, but utilising services like Project Displaced will help young people get back into work sooner. And, if you want to watch our video, go to facebook.com/TimWilsonMP.