The Andrews Labor Government is helping disadvantaged Victorians find meaningful work and stay employed.
The Andrews Labor Government is helping disadvantaged Victorians find meaningful work and stay employed.
Minister for Employment, Jacinta Allan, visited Linfox’s West Melbourne facility today to launch the Jobs Victoria Employment Network (JVEN) – a key initiative of the newly established Jobs Victoria, funded with $53 million in last week’s Victorian Budget 2016/17.
Jobs Victoria will provide targeted support services for people looking for work and employers looking for workers, and will consolidate all Victorian employment services into one system.
Round one of JVEN will provide $25 million worth of grants to specialist employment providers, to help them connect disadvantaged jobseekers with job opportunities and support them once they are employed.
The program will target groups that traditionally face the most complex barriers to employment and are not well-serviced by the Commonwealth system.
These groups include refugees, retrenched workers, the long-term unemployed, disengaged young people, people with disabilities, public housing tenants and Aboriginal Victorians.
Assistance will be tailored to the particular needs of each jobseeker, preparing them for work and supporting them once they have a job, to address personal or work-related challenges that affect their employment.
Round 1 applications will open on 4 May 2016, with projects to begin this year. For more information on program guidelines and eligibility criteria, and how to apply, visit www.business.vic.gov.au/jobsvictoria
The Victorian Budget also includes $12.4 billion in job-creating infrastructure, $116 million to establish 10 new Tech Schools and continued investment in our TAFE system, to give young people the skills they need for the job they want.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Employment Jacinta Allan
“The Jobs Victoria Employment Network will help thousands of disadvantaged Victorians to find, keep and remain in work. It’s a helping hand for those who find it hardest to get their foot in the door.”
“The program will focus on those who face the most complex barriers to employment and fallen through the cracks of the Federal system.”
“We’ve created more than 100,000 jobs since we came to office but we still have more to do, particularly for Victorians who, for various reasons, struggle to find work and stay employed.”
“The Andrews Labor Government is giving young workers a head start, disadvantaged workers a fresh start, getting Victoria back to work.”