Today the Victorian Government announced a major milestone for its flagship Jobs Victoria Employment Network (JVEN) initiative with more than 1,000 Victorian jobseekers successfully placed into employment in the first eight months.
The Minister for Industry and Employment Wade Noonan made the announcement during a visit to the Melbourne Marriott Hotel to see the Industry Employment Initiative (IEI) – one of the JVEN programs – in action and meet participants, employers and service providers.
As a JVEN provider, the IEI – led by Social Ventures Australia – is helping young, disadvantaged jobseekers get the skills they need to work in some of Melbourne’s high end hotels.
In partnership with Jesuit Social Services and with support from the Business Council of Australia, the demand-led IEI connects national employers with long-term unemployed young people, aligning recruitment and training to employer needs.
Several young Victorians at the Marriott have now completed training to work in a variety of roles in the hospitality industry – including front of house, kitchen and housekeeping.
‘There’s a profound dignity that comes with having a job, and having a chance to make a valued contribution to the community. Today’s announcement shows that our employment providers are enjoying real success in placing Victorians into meaningful work,’
The Hon. Wade Noonan, Minister for Industry and Employment said.
In addition to representatives from SVA and other JVEN providers, attendees at the event included Julie Edwards, CEO, Jesuit Social Services; Diana Vieweg, Human Resources Manager at the Marriot and successful JVEN participant Danielle Gerrard who is employed by the Marriott in a concierge role.
Andrea De Almeida, Director, Venture Philanthropy, SVA, said:
‘We know that helping young people get jobs is fundamental to a sense of self, connection to community and economic participation. SVA is a proud to have partnered with the State Government of Victoria and Jesuit Social Services and we look forward to continuing this innovative collaboration.’
Sponsored by Jobs Victoria and with support from the Australian Hotels Association (AHA) and Tourism Accommodation Australia (TAA), the IEI has so far engaged six Melbourne hotels as part of the first in a series of industry-specific programs in the hospitality field. As well as their commitment to creating opportunities for disadvantaged jobseekers, each hotel contributed to the design of training and recruitment pathways. These hotels are:
- Melbourne Marriott Hotel
- Hilton Melbourne South Wharf
- DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Melbourne
- Four Points by Sheraton Melbourne Docklands
- Mansion Hotel & Spa at Werribee Park (Lancemore Group)
- Hotel Windsor.
Achievements to date include 19 participants enrolled in training, while 17 have commenced work experience and 13 are successfully employed.
Jobs Victoria is providing support across the state to a range of jobseekers who face barriers to work including the long-term unemployed, retrenched automotive workers, at-risk young people and people with a disability.
The Labor Government has provided nearly $40 million to support 38 employment providers and businesses across the state to help about 4,000 Victorians overcome barriers to work.
The IEI is seeking corporate partners to participate in the IEI to:
- Contribute to the design of a tailored employment pathway
- Provide work placements that, if successfully completed, have direct line-of-sight to a job
- Provide outcome data and feedback on the IEI model and contribute to developing best practice demand-led employment programs.
For more information please contact Project Managers Simon Crabb or Anne Duncan.