Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with great pleasure that I rise to inform the House of a fantastic local organisation, Humanise. I would like to acknowledge the presence of my good friends Martin Rogers, Phil Grueff and Berni Jurkovic in the gallery today. Humanise is a fantastic local business networking group. This organisation works to build genuine friendships in our local business community. In the words of Martin Rogers, 'Business is still about shaking hands and saying hello.' The Humanise team have a great sense of giving back to our local community, and they have achieved this through the Humanise the Next Generation program. Western Sydney has one of the highest youth unemployment rates in the country. Long commutes to employment add to the barriers to finding local jobs for our local youth. Humanise the Next Generation offers a day program run in conjunction with local schools and provides essential transition-to-work skills through the business network. It further connects future employees to future employers, master tradesmen to future apprentices, and universities to future students. In the words of Tayla Armstrong, from Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School:

Before I went to the Humanise program I was very nervous about going into the workforce and all the skills I would need to have. Participating in 'Humanise the Next Generation' helped me build my confidence and inspire me to know that someone as ordinary as me can be something extraordinary.

I would like to congratulate the boys and welcome them here today.