Jobs fund – Get Communities Working projects link disadvantaged job seekers with training and employment opportunities with a strong focus on supporting social enterprises.

Senator Arbib and Senator Fielding said the Jobs fund projects would create or retain 1033 jobs, 838 work experience positions and 247 traineeships and apprenticeships.

“These Jobs fund projects will support and create jobs in communities hardest hit by unemployment and the global economic downturn, while providing much needed assistance to some of the most disadvantaged Australians,” Senator Arbib said.

Minister Arbib and Senator Fielding announced the successful projects during a visit to The Big Issue in Melbourne.

“The Big Issue will receive $1.2 million to establish a subscription service for its magazine creating 96 long-term jobs and eight work experience positions,” Senator Arbib said.

“Importantly it will assist disadvantaged women, including women with disability, homeless women and those with mental illnesses.

“They will be employed as dispatch assistants in three distribution centres located in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide and will work with a number of councils including Liverpool and Bankstown City Councils in Sydney, Adelaide City Council and the City of Greater Dandenong in Melbourne.

The Big Issue’s CEO Steven Persson said that the Jobs fund government grant would allow the organisation to address a critical social need in Australia – employment opportunities for homeless and disadvantaged women.

“Every night more than 46,000 Australian women are homeless, making up 40 percent of those sleeping rough or in non-secure housing.

Other local projects to receive Jobs fund government grants include:

• $1.1 million for the Adult Multicultural Education Services for its “Community Smorgasbord” project to create or retain 20 jobs, 72 work experience placements and 13 traineeships.
• $1 million for the Taskforce Community Agency for its “FarmForce” project. The project will assist disadvantaged people and create 50 jobs, 75 work experience positions and 20 apprenticeships.

A full list of Round 2 Jobs Fund recipients is available here.

For assistance with Government Grant applications please feel free to contact us to discuss how we can help.

Senator Arbib and Parliamentary Secretary for Employment Jason Clare also unveiled a new information service for job seekers and employers, in response to feedback from the Keep Australia Working forums.

More than $90 million will be available in Round 2 of the Jobs Fund:

• $51.9 million from the Local Jobs stream, negotiated with the Greens, for the promotion of green jobs, technology, heritage and environment friendly projects; and
• $41.4 million for the Get Communities Working stream, negotiated with Family First to support social enterprise to create self-sustaining social businesses.

“This round of the Jobs Fund and the new Keep Australia Working service aim to support jobs in areas hardest hit by the economic downturn,” Senator Arbib said.

“Projects will support and create jobs and skill development and provide sustainable employment and training opportunities for the most disadvantaged Australians.

“The Jobs Fund works alongside the Keep Australia Working service, which outlines the many programs available to help employers recruit, train and retain staff.”

Senator Arbib said the new Keep Australia Working service included a website and a call centre where job seekers and employers could go to identify Government services and programs.

“During the past four months we’ve been on the road talking to employers hardest hit by the global recession,” Senator Arbib said.

“They told us they needed information on how Government can help, in an easy format. That’s what the Keep Australia Working service has been designed to do.

“Keep Australia Working is a major part of the Government’s strategy to protect jobs and support business in a difficult economic environment.”

Mr Clare said the website contains important information about regional job expos and Local Employment Coordinators.

“For those communities hardest hit by the recession the website can help with information about how to find help as well as what the Government is doing in your area,” Mr Clare said.

More information about the Jobs Fund, including the guidelines and the electronic application form for each stream, is available at the Jobs Fund page on the Keep Australia Working website.

Organisations which applied under Round 1 of the Jobs Fund should resubmit applications taking into account the new guidelines.

Advertisements calling for applications will appear in national print media on Saturday. Applications will close 11pm AEDT, Friday 11 December, 2009.