Workers retrenched last week from Endeavor Mine and their partners will be able to access a range of information and advice today at a Redundancy Support Session.
Coordinated by the Cobar Business Association, the session today at the Cobar Bowling & Golf Club will be attended by training providers, counsellors and financial advisers along with local employers who currently have positions vacant within their organisations.
Cobar Business Association president Sharon Harland said the committee was keen to help in a practical way.
“While the mine has offered a number of services to their retrenched workers as part of their redundancy packages, we thought about what other practical things people might need and so we contacted a few providers to gauge their interest.
“We also wanted to be able to include the Endeavor spouses who are going through this rough time as well,” Mrs Harland said.
“Following the initial shock of the announcement, people are now starting to make some plans about their futures.
“For many, we hope those futures will still be in Cobar. If we can help people to re-train or find another job locally, that means their family will stay in Cobar; their children will continue to attend the local schools; they can still be part of a sporting team or volunteer their time to a local charity group.”
Mrs Harland said the association received a great response from service providers.
“TAFE was first to respond and are keen to show what training options are available both locally and on line and also what financial incentives are out there that people can tap into.”
Mrs Harland said after speaking to a few of those who were retrenched, they told her it would be helpful to get financial advice on how to get the most out of their redundancy payout.
“The Luka Group and MGH Advisory, who both regularly visit Cobar, will have financial planners and accountants at the session who can help with budgeting, the tax consequences of redundancy, superannuation and financial planning,” she said.
“We hope that people who have been retrenched and their partners, will come along and make the most of this session where they will be able to talk one-on-one to the service providers and ask them any questions they may have.”
