Jared Crooks has worn a lot of hats in his life.

Car salesman, personal banker, COVID clinic administrator, employment sector business development officer, DJ, dad – it’s as though the 32-year-old’s varied career and experiences were all preparing him for the moment he walked through the doors of Jobs Fraser Coast in April this year.

Jobs Fraser Coast is funded by the Queensland Government to support and develop a skilled, sustainable workforce for the region, and Jared – as its project officer – is the man tasked with much of that weighty responsibility.

“In the employment sector, it’s great when you can fill a vacancy – but it may not always be long lasting,” Jared said.

“Here, I’m getting the chance to make a longer-term difference on a bigger scale and actually build something.

“I love talking to business, government, industry and community leaders, finding out all about them and what I can do to help.

“And the appreciation you get means a lot because people can see we’re not just looking for quick fixes – we’re trying to work across all sectors to foster training and career opportunities and build a stable and strong local economy.”

With the support of the Fraser Coast Regional Jobs Committee, Jared has been the driving force behind a number of initiatives that are starting to pay dividends and create real and steady changes in the local employment landscape.

One of these is the Fraser Coast Jobs Commitment, which connects secondary students to local job and training opportunities through presentations and onsite industry tours.

“Making an impact at local schools has been a massive thing for me,” Jared said.

“It’s amazing when you see young people who might start out disengaged – and then at some point you see the lightbulb go on, and everything changes.

“We’ve been able to connect quite a number of students to jobs and apprenticeships, and that always gives me a lot of satisfaction.”

The marquee event that Jared has really been able to hang his hat on, however, is the recent Fraser Coast industry & Careers Showcase, which is now planned to be an annual affair.

Held at the Maryborough Showgrounds in October, it brought together more than 80 businesses and support organisations with well over 2,000 students and jobseekers, and had one clear goal – to get people of all ages into a job or on a pathway to a career.

“The showcase was like all the school tours brought into one place – it was designed to be hands-on and interactive so it could give people real-word insights into what certain jobs were like,” Jared said.

“We’ve had so much positive feedback about it, from jobseekers who secured interviews or jobs on the day, to students who learned about what training they could do while they were still at school, or employers with vacancies who came away with a pile of genuine CVs to sift through.

“Staging the event was a lot of hard work, but everything we’ve heard about it since has made all that worth it.”

Outside of major events and initiatives, you can find Jared all about town, whether he’s helping to link local jobs programs with suitable employers, networking at chamber of commerce meetings, leading school tours – or, outside work, spinning the decks at local venues under the guise of DJ Crooksy.

“I call it the many hats of Jared!” he says with a laugh.

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way. I get so much enjoyment out of all the things I do, particularly the results and outcomes from my Jobs Fraser Coast work.
“For a long time I didn’t realise the many benefits of working, because I’ve always worked and it seemed like a natural thing to do.

“It was only when I was in the employment sector that I saw the impacts on people who hadn’t worked for 10 years – the barriers, the impacts on their mental health. Getting a job gives people so much freedom, so much self-worth.

“So I get a real kick out of it when schoolkids or principals or jobseekers tell me something’s been life-changing for them. It keeps me doing what I’m doing.”