Assistance

The Access Program provides vulnerable job seekers facing barriers to skilled employment with individualised pre-vocational training, job search and post-placement support services to help them gain and retain an Australian Apprenticeship.  12 new contracts will provide for 7,000 places for vulnerable job seekers from January to June 2010, and 9,500 annual places for the three years to 2012-13.

AACs promote apprenticeships and provide the Australian Apprenticeship incentives to employers and apprentices.

100 exhibitors, 1000 jobs on offer and 2500 attendees.  Centrelink advised Whittlesea Jobs Expo led to 350 people placed in jobs / apprenticeships and had highest level of placements (as proportion of attendees) of all 5 expos to date.  Another Centrelink Jobs Expo may be scheduled in Melbourne’s West later in 2010.

The Disability Employment Services are a national network of community and private organisations dedicated to helping people with disability find work and keep a job in the open labour market.

Under Disability Employment Services, all eligible job seekers with disability, injury or health condition are able to receive assistance from an employment service provider to prepare for, find and keep a job. There are no waiting lists so those eligible will receive the right assistance as early as possible. There is more focus on education, training and skills development to increase your chances of getting and staying in a job.

GAA is an independent statutory body established in 2006 as part of the Victorian Government’s plan for outer urban development – A Plan for Melbourne’s Growth Areas.  GAA reports directly to the Victorian Minister for Planning and:

• Develops communities in growth areas that are socially, environmentally and economically sustainable
• Works with industry and local Councils to ensure economic, employment and housing priorities are achieved in Melbourne’s five growth areas (PEA has 4)

GAA advise that they propose to tender for a consultant to develop a regional employment plan in Melbourne’s growth areas (which would encompass both the NW and SE Melbourne PEAs).  It is proposed that this employment plan be developed in conjunction with all growth area LGAs and take 3-5 months to complete.  If that occurs, both the GAA and KAW employment plans for NW and SE Melbourne need to work in harmony with each other.  At any rate, the LEC will engage with GAA on the development / progress of the KAW regional employment plan for NW Melbourne and feed into GAA’s employment plan if and as it takes shape.

The Jobs Fund is an Australian Government Initiative designed to maximise job and training opportunities in local communities. The Jobs Fund forms part of the Australian Government’s Jobs and Training Compact.

Jobs Fund Round 2

$39m in funding has been announced for 53 projects across Australia under the Local Jobs stream and Get Communities Working stream of the Jobs Fund.

Job Services Australia commenced on 1 July 2009 and is a national network of community and private providers that is tasked with increasing employment participation; addressing skills in demand and helping jobseekers, particularly disadvantaged job seekers, find sustainable employment.  Job Services Australia also focuses on helping employers find work-ready job seekers.  However, some employers at the Keep Australia Working Forums in Whittlesea and Werribee on 16 October 2009 (and others since) stated they found navigating the range of employment and training provider services confusing.  They want a more integrated and easier solution to their recruitment and training needs

The Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program seeks to improve clients’ language, literacy and/or numeracy to enable them to participate more effectively in training or employment.

Lead West is a peak advocacy body that supports sustainable growth and regional development of Melbourne’s western region.  In late 2009, Lead West held a ‘Western Region Education & Skills Forum’ that brought key industry leaders, employers, employees, educators and the community together to look at heightening the level of education and skills in the region, in an effort to secure the next generation’s future employment.  The LEC participated in that Forum and it was a valuable resource in the preparation of this plan.  The LEC will work closely with Lead West throughout the course of this plan.

NEIS is designed to help eligible job seekers start and run their own small business by providing accredited small business training, business advice & mentoring, as well as ongoing income support for up to 52 weeks.  However, a current NEIS provider advises there are no more places available in the PEA for the first half of 2010.

NORTH Link is a regional partnership of industry, education and government that fosters economic development, regional marketing and promotion of Melbourne’s North.  It recently published ‘Melbourne’s North: The New Knowledge Economy’  – a landmark study of the economy, industry mix, population, employment and business opportunities in Melbourne’s North.  This document is likely to become the cornerstone document driving future economic development and business investment for Melbourne’s North – and it was a valuable resource in the preparation of this plan. However, only the 2 outer LGAs of Melbourne’s North (Hume and Whittlesea) are included within the PEA.  The LEC will work closely with NORTH Link throughout the course of this plan.

The Australian Government has recently established two RDA Committees to provide strategic and targeted responses to economic, environmental and social issues affecting North and West Melbourne (though the boundaries do not align completely with the PEA).  These committees will soon be equipped with full time staff and will develop strategic plans to address the abovementioned issues over the next 3 years.  The LEC will work closely with both RDA committees throughout the course of this Regional Employment Plan.  Indeed, it is my hope that this plan will gain the support of the RDA Committees, and that once the tenure of the LEC expires on 30 June 2011, the RDA will assume responsibility for taking the goals and strategies of this plan forward.

The WELL Program assists businesses train workers in English language, literacy and numeracy skills, is linked to job-related workplace training and is designed to help workers meet their current and future employment / training needs.

The Youth Connections program provides a holistic approach to servicing young people at risk including support for individual young people and the broader community. The Youth Connections program is available to eligible young people who are most at risk of disengaging, or already disengaged from education, family and/or the community.