Media release – Sarah Courtney, Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth, 6 June 2021

Jobs Tasmania set to help boost employment

The establishment of the new Jobs Tasmania unit has begun within the Department of State Growth to deliver our Local Jobs for Local People package and connect employers, jobs seekers and training opportunities.

This is part of the Tasmanian Liberal Government’s plan to help more people find rewarding careers and boost our economy to secure Tasmania’s future.

Jobs Tasmania will be focussed on connecting the right people with the right skills with the employers that need more trained workers, addressing key recommendations of the Premier’s Economic and Social Recovery Advisory Council (PESRAC) final report.

Importantly, its focus will be across the state and particularly in our regions with four new Jobs Tasmania Hubs in Burnie, Brighton, Huonville and St Helens, and an expansion of the existing Northern Employment and Business Hub.

This unit will provide important support as we deliver almost $22 million in jobs and training related funding, including:

  • A pilot Youth Connectors program to operate in conjunction with existing Jobs Hubs in Sorell, Glenorchy and George Town;
  • The Job Ready Fund to help job seekers gain essential accreditations they need to get a job such as White Card and working with vulnerable people checks;
  • The Jobs Tasmania Partnership between the government and the non-government sector to enhance engagement and alignment of non-Government services and the Jobs Tasmania Hubs network; and
  • The Tasmanian Employer Bonus to encourage employers to take on long-term unemployed job seekers.

Jobs Tasmania is already working on implementation strategies and engaging with key stakeholders to support the timely rollout of these new initiatives to get more than 2000 Tasmanian job seekers in regional areas into work over the next three years.

Anita Dow MP, Acting Labor Leader, 6 June 2021

Another empty announcement on jobs from the Liberal Government

The Liberal Government has again jumped on the empty announcement bandwagon by failing to provide any real detail on how it plans to address Tasmania’s appalling unemployment rate.

Acting Labor Leader, Anita Dow, said Sarah Courtney’s re-announcement of a Jobs Tasmania Unit proves the Government doesn’t have a plan to create jobs across Tasmania.

“Labor welcomes the Government rolling out our jobs hub policy – a key priority in Labor’s Plan for Jobs – but we want to see action on this policy now not in three years’ time,” Ms Dow said.

“Labor went to the election with a plan to create 35 thousand jobs across Tasmania which included the creation of 10 Jobs Hubs to support 1,000 people of all ages into work each year.

“These jobs hubs along with other initiatives in Labor’s Plan for Jobs including the $55 million jobs and innovation fund, $18 million plan for small business and our dedicated focus on rebuilding TAFE from the ground up including better regional access to TAFE, would have immediately helped address Tasmania’s alarming regional unemployment rate.

“The latest ABS data shows Tasmania has the highest regional unemployment rate in the country and at 7.4 per cent, the North West and West Coast is the highest in Tasmania. The jobs hub in Burnie must be delivered.

“Tasmania’s regional communities continue to face significant economic challenges and initiatives designed to link local people with local skills and training and employment opportunities must be the highest priority for this Government.

“We are urging the Government to stop making re-announcements and get on with the job of delivering these vital initiatives to ensure Tasmanians have every opportunity to get a job no matter where they live and that Tasmanian businesses get access to the skilled workforce they are crying out for.

“When will these much needed jobs hubs be up and running in Burnie, Brighton, Huonville and St Helens? Tasmanians can’t wait another 3 years for action on job creation by this Liberal Government.”

Media release – TasCOSS, 6 June 2021

Job Ready Fund to provide Tasmanian job seekers with practical support to enter the workforce

Today’s announcement by the State Government to partner with Searson Buck to provide Tasmanians with the essential tools and accreditation they need in order to gain meaningful, secure employment will be of great benefit to job seekers looking for a way into the workforce.

TasCOSS CEO Adrienne Picone said it was pleasing to see the much needed investment in Tasmanians looking for work.

“Overwhelmingly, what we’re hearing on the ground is Tasmanians want to work,” said Ms Picone.

“The pandemic showed up our historical overreliance on casual and precarious employment in industries such as tourism and hospitality and this had a flow on impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing as Tasmanians felt the strain on household budgets.

“Now we have the opportunity to equip job seekers with what they need to enter the jobs market of tomorrow in growth industries such as community services and construction.”

Ms Picone said the fund would enable Tasmanians looking for work as well as trainees and apprentices to get the relevant tools, licences and accreditation they required free of charge, such as Working with Vulnerable People registration, essential trade-specific tools, equipment and worksite clothing.

“Removing cost barriers for Tasmanians looking for work will go a long way to boosting workforce participation rates,” she said.

The Local Jobs for Local People package also includes a number of important initiatives that will link in job seekers with employers and training providers, including an expansion of the highly successful Jobs Hub model and the Youth Connectors pilot program.

“We know that local communities are best equipped to support Tasmanians into work. They have the know-how, the connections and existing relationships. As we recover from the economic and social disruption caused by the pandemic, empowering communities to support their own is critical.

“Meaningful, secure employment enables Tasmanians to provide for themselves and their families and contributes to positive self-worth. All Tasmanians should be afforded this opportunity as we seek to build-back a stronger, more inclusive state.”