Sarah Courtney,Minister for Skills, Training and Workforce Growth
Jobs Hubs in Tasmania are delivering practical results for Tasmanian job seekers and employers, with an additional $10.6 million investment in the Tasmanian Budget 2021-22 to extend the Jobs Hubs network in the State to ensure more regions can experience the benefits.
These Hubs link jobseekers with employers to address high unemployment rates in the regions and provide businesses with the workforce they need.
Importantly, a key lesson from the work so far is that local leadership and support that takes in the local community context is the key to success.
The new Regional Jobs Hub network is funded in the Tasmanian Budget as the centrepiece of our $13.5 million Local Jobs for Local People agenda, with Glenorchy one of seven job hubs that will operate across the State.
Yesterday the new Glenorchy Jobs Hub was officially opened, which has already seen more than 100 people registered with the Hub in five weeks and a number already supported into local jobs, changing their lives for the better.
We heard from a young jobs hub participant, Jayden Weeding, who was unemployed for 18 months and was able to learn basic skills such as preparing a resume and prepare for a job interview, which gave him the confidence to put himself out there, approach potential employers and gain a job.
The South East Regional Employment Hub has been particularly successful, with the collaboration between the South East Regional Development Association and Colony47 supporting over 500 local residents into local jobs over the past two years.
Our Hubs network will soon operate across the State through our new $10.6 million investment and will include the North West and West Coast Jobs Hub based out of Burnie, the South-Central Jobs Hub out of Brighton, the Huonville Jobs Hub, the North East Jobs hub out of St Helens and the Northern Employment and Business Hub.
The Government is also supporting the Regional Jobs Hubs Network through the newly established Jobs Tasmania unit in the Department of State Growth, which is leading the implementation and delivery of the Local Jobs for Local People agenda.
Jobs Tasmania is providing practical support to the Hubs by delivering common overhead supports, workforce analysis and data mapping.
We know young people can find engaging with training and work particularly challenging, which is why the Budget also funds a pilot Youth Connectors program to operate in conjunction with existing hubs in Sorell, Glenorchy and George Town, at a cost of $1.3 million.
The Tasmanian Liberal Government is delivering on our long term plan to get Tasmanians into jobs and to support Tasmanian businesses to get the workforce they need to grow and prosper as part of our plan to secure Tasmania's future.
