Ms SPENCE: My constituency question is to the Minister for Industry and Employment, and I ask: what benefits can jobseekers in the Yuroke electorate expect from the Jobs Victoria Employment Network program? We all know how important a secure and stable job is to our wellbeing. It is not just about a pay cheque, it is about a place in the community. Being unemployed can too often cause social isolation and problems well beyond simply not having an income. That is why I have been proud of the Andrews Labor government in that it is making sure it does everything it can so that people have every opportunity to get a job. I know that access to employment is a top priority for local residents, and I look forward to hearing from the minister about how Yuroke constituents will benefit from this initiative.

My constituency question is to the Minister for Industry and Employment, and I ask: what benefits can jobseekers in the Yuroke electorate expect from the Jobs Victoria Employment Network program? We all know how important a secure and stable job is to our wellbeing. It is not just about a pay cheque, it is about a place in the community. Being unemployed can too often cause social isolation and problems well beyond simply not having an income. That is why I have been proud of the Andrews Labor government in that it is making sure it does everything it can so that people have every opportunity to get a job. I know that access to employment is a top priority for local residents, and I look forward to hearing from the minister about how Yuroke constituents will benefit from this initiative.

Response:

The Victorian Government came to office with a commitment to create more jobs and help disadvantaged jobseekers into work.

The Victorian Government is committed to increasing job opportunities in Victoria, by investing in infrastructure and supporting businesses to grow.  The 2017-18 Budget provided an additional $6.1 billion in infrastructure investment, building on the capital investment in the previous budget. This investment in infrastructure projects across public transport, roads, schools and hospitals will not only underpin increased productivity and provide the facilities that Victorians need, but is creating thousands of new jobs.

The government is also supporting Victorian businesses to grow. Through initiatives such as the Future Industries Fund, the Regional Jobs Fund and the Premier’s Jobs and Infrastructure Fund, we are supporting Victorian businesses with real potential to expand into new markets, develop new products, and most importantly to employ more people.

These efforts are resulting in positive results for Victoria’s economy, with ABS data showing that employment has increased by more than 115,000 people in Victoria in the year to April 2017.  This represents 60 per cent of Australia’s total job growth over that period. However, we know that some Victorians struggle to gain a foothold in the job market. These difficulties may relate to the need for better or different skills, a lack of work experience or a lack of knowledge of how to find jobs. Some people also face personal barriers such as poor health, unstable housing arrangements and lack of transport.  That is why the government allocated $53 million in the 2016-17 State Budget to establish Jobs Victoria.

Jobs Victoria is providing targeted support services for people looking for work and for employers looking for workers.

$39.2 million has been allocated for 38 employment services under the Jobs Victoria Employment Network, and 18 per cent of that funding has been directed to services in the Northern suburbs of Melbourne. This includes funding to Jesuit Social Services and Melbourne’s Northern Economic Wedge. To date, more than 3,500 Victorian’s looking for work have registered with Jobs Victoria services, and more than 1,000 jobseekers have found jobs through the program. Currently, there are 208 participants registered from the Hume City Council local government area of whom 47 have successfully been placed into employment and of those 11 have maintained that employment for 26 weeks or more.

More information about Jobs Victoria, including details of Jobs Victoria service partners and case studies about jobseekers and employers, can be found at www.jobs.vic.gov.au

As we invest in jobs growth across the state, with more and more opportunities for work, the government is determined that disadvantaged Victorians are not left behind and are able to share in the social and economic benefits that come from employment.

Hon Wade Noonan MP
Minister for Industry and Employment