Industry Employment Initiative

The national unemployment rate in Australia equates to more than 700,000 people actively seeking work.

The Industry Employment Initiative (IEI) seeks to improve outcomes for job seekers at risk of or experiencing long term unemployment by engaging employers in the design of training and employment pathways.

The IEI is a demand-led employment model that meets the recruitment needs of large employers while improving outcomes for job seekers experiencing disadvantage. The unique model positions SVA as an intermediary between Jobs Victoria as the funder, Jesuit Social Services as the service provider, and large employer partners with a recruitment need.

Goal of SVA partnership

SVA is working to improve collaboration and communication between employers, employment agencies and service providers in order to improve outcomes for job seekers. Lessons from the project are forming an evidence base for reform of the national job services system to better meet the needs of both employers and long-term job seekers.

What the IEI provides

Working directly with national employers the IEI job seekers are provided with bespoke training, work placements and wrap-around support to support their transition into stable and sustainable employment. The IEI presents an opportunity for employers to:

• Create or extend demand-led programs into reliable training, support and recruitment pipelines
• Identify potential adjustments to internal policies and practices
• Position their business at the forefront of innovative recruitment practices
• Increase the diversity of their workforce
• Demonstrate a commitment to helping young people break the cycle of long-term unemployment.

‘It’s a more practical way of getting people into the business who genuinely want to work.’ ‘The entire team and all partners were extremely passionate about it and the level of support to the program and candidates was considerable. The pre-vocational training, I’d never see that done before. It was very helpful.’

– IEI Employer 2017

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.

SVA support

The IEI & Jobs Victoria

Jobs Victoria is the Victorian Government’s major initiative to help disadvantaged jobseekers gain employment in Victoria. Jobs Victoria initiatives are being delivered by specialist employment experts who work closely with employers to identify job opportunities and prepare job seekers.

As a Jobs Victoria partner, the IEI, led by Social Ventures Australia (SVA) in partnership with Jesuit Social Services and support from the Business Council of Australia is helping unlock new potential employment opportunities.