CASEY businesses are being asked to give parents returning to the workforce a fair go.
Local mum Joanne McAlpine, a single mother of four, is keen to get back into the workforce but has faced difficulty finding a company which can accommodate the flexible hours she needs to work around the demands of her family.
“I’m not complaining. I’m simply asking for an opportunity to show that I can still make a positive contribution to a business,” she said.
The problem is being addressed by recruitment agency Staff Australia, which is currently setting up a new office in Casey.
Casey deputy mayor Kevin Bradford commended Staff Australia for trying to address the issue.
“This is a large section of our community, parents who have made a choice to start or extend a family and this should not prohibit them from returning to the workforce,” Cr Bradford said.
“When children are at school, the costs of providing for a family, really start to escalate.
“ We need employers who can take advantage of this highly motivated and experienced group of people.”
Matthew Wray, who is setting up Casey’s Staff Australia office, said he was determined to change the situation for people like Ms McAlpine through the Parents Returning to Work program.
He said Parents Returning to Work aimed to give all Australians a fair go.
For more information call Staff Australia on 1300 1 STAFF (1300 1 78233).