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Original constituency question from Juliana Addison MP to Parliament –

My question is for the Minister for Employment in the other place. Will the minister please provide me with an update on how Jobs Victoria programs are supporting my local jobseekers to find employment and supporting local businesses to fill roles in the Ballarat community?

A number of local organisations have already benefited from Jobs Victoria initiatives, including the Ballarat art gallery, McCallum Disability Services and the Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council. The Ballarat community welcome the minister’s recent Jobs Victoria announcement of additional training for hospitality workers, which will help meet their urgent workforce demands.

Last week I had the pleasure of meeting with Kelly-Louise Austin, who is a Jobs Victoria mentor at AMES Australia. Kelly-Louise supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to find work in Ballarat. It was wonderful to hear of the success stories and the difference that this program is making.

I look forward to hearing from the minister and her providing me more details on how Jobs Victoria is supporting my community.

Response from the Hon Jaala Pulford MP, Minister for Employment (25 May 2022) –

Jobs Victoria Mentors help people to become work-ready, find a job and provide support for their first six months in the job. In Central Highlands, there are eight Jobs Victoria Mentor providers. This includes four specialist Mentor providers who support people from a range of backgrounds including people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities, women, and Aboriginal people.

There are also four Jobs Victoria Advocates located in Ballarat who connect members of the Ballarat community looking for work with information, support and services. In addition, Jobs Victoria Career Counsellors are available to provide expert career advice and vocational counselling, over the phone, in person or online.

Members of the Ballarat community looking for work can access the Jobs Victoria online hub which helps jobseekers to find employment opportunities and resources. The online hub also assists businesses to advertise jobs, screen candidates and fill job vacancies. Additionally, jobseekers or businesses looking for staff can call the Jobs Victoria Hotline on 1300 208 575.

A $250 million Jobs Victoria Fund has been set up to support Victorians looking for work and to help businesses grow. The Fund provides wage subsidies of up to $20,000 for eligible employers who hire jobseekers from priority cohorts.

Thank you for sharing these stories about how Jobs Victoria is supporting your community.

More information is available at https://jobs.vic.gov.au.