Three Queensland businessmen have created an app which links university workers with casual work and guarantees a $25 hourly rate to avoid exploitation.
Brisbane-based Tim Woodhouse and business partners Christian Hedberg and Jethro Warren built the Uniworker app after seeing their own children attend university and struggle with casual work.
“Like so many parents of uni students, we saw our kids struggle with the dilemma of balancing work and their study (and social) timetable, and we lived through the frustrations of them trying to piece it all together,” Mr Woodhouse said.
He said Uniworker gave power to the students, and flexibility and options to businesses and homeowners who needed work done.
“Uniworker connects university students to flexible and unstructured work opportunities – work without ongoing commitment, and hours that fit into student schedules with a minimum rate of $25 per hour,” Mr Woodhouse said.
“With the cost of living continuing to rise, this is the connector that may enable many students to keep studying.”
Mr Woodhouse said there was more than 1.6 million tertiary students studying at 42 local universities across Australia.
“This is a formidable workforce, and it’s one filled with students who often need part time and casual work to stay studying, but also students who want to achieve and learn, so it’s a workforce of enthusiasm and ambition,” he said.
“Until now, there’s been no dedicated platform that connects students to jobs, with the best interest of the students at its core.”
Mr Woodhouse said a group of students had joined the business to advise and build out the proposition to ensure that Uniworker was built “by students, for students” and their aim now was to be largest “job connector” of uni students globally.
Uniworker recently assisted the Brookfield Show, with 48 students working 72 shifts over three days.
It is aiming to have 20,000 students and over 8000 businesses and homeowners registered by the end of this year, with 2000 students currently signed up.
Both businesses and students pay an admin fee, based on hours worked, to use the platform.
Visit the Uniworker website for more information.
