Collaborating to break the cycle of disadvantage

Despite strong employment in Victoria, there are still people in the community who face significant barriers to finding work. The Department for Victorian Communities (DVC)aims to create active, confident and resilient communities.

The $24 million Workforce Participation Partnerships Program, to run over two years, has just recently been launched by DVC. It aims to break the cycle of disadvantage by helping people help each other – emphasis will be on brokering connections within communities and across government, as well as meeting local needs with local solutions.

The partnerships will bring together state and local government, unions, industry, service providers and community organisations to meet the needs of disadvantaged jobseekers and employers. Preference will be given to places with higher than average levels of unemployment and socio-economic disadvantage.

WHO IS THE PROGRAM FOR?
1)people from culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including refugees and recently arrived migrants;
2)people with disabilities;
3)people with a mental illness;
4)older jobseekers (aged 45 years & over);
5)Indigenous Australians;
6)young people (aged 15-24 years);
7)retrenched workers with limited labour market opportunities;
8)recently released offenders;
9)eligible residents of Neighbourhood Renewal areas; and
10)homeless jobseekers.

WHAT WILL IT DO?
-place jobseekers into ongoing, sustainable employment;
-assist employers to meet their labour and skill needs;
-forge stronger links between service agencies and employers to identify sustainable job opportunities;
-provide case management services to targeted jobseekers; and
-optimise the use of existing resources, programs and infrastructure.

FOR MORE INFO VISIT: www.LiveInVictoria.vic.gov.au http://www.grants.dvc.vic.gov.au/
Email: info@LiveInVictoria.vic.gov.au