The Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney, this week announced funding of $80,000 to Mentor Professional Pty. Ltd. for an important employment project in Warrnambool and Barwon South West to help disadvantaged jobseekers and skills shortages.
Ms Tierney said Mentor would provide employment and personal development opportunities for Indigenous Australian jobseekers in the region.
“This will be achieved by identifying barriers to employment through a skills and needs analysis of each individual and the arrangement and delivery of suitable, accredited training,” Ms Tierney said.
Ms Tierney said the funding was part of the further $2.5 million for the Victorian Government’s Workforce Participation Partnerships program (WPP) which places disadvantaged jobseekers into employment in areas of skills and labour shortages.
She said this funding brought the Victorian Government’s investment in WPP to $29.6 million over the past three years and reflected the Government’s commitment to addressing skills shortages and enhancing workplace participation.
“The Victorian Government has now funded 147 employment projects, working with over 1500 individual private employers which will lead to over 3,700 sustainable jobs that satisfy the skills and labour needs of thousands of regional and metropolitan businesses.
“The latest round of WPP projects target jobseekers who face significant barriers to employment and who are at risk of long term unemployment.
“Sustainable, ongoing employment will be achieved through job preparation, training, work placement and mentoring. Participating agencies will provide a link between disadvantaged groups of unemployed people and employers who are desperate for their skills to boost their business.
“The Victorian Government recognises that growing workforce participation is essential to stimulating economic growth, as well as contributing to greater equity and social well-being for individuals, families and communities,” Ms Tierney said.