Budget 2023
Changes to Local Jobs announced in the 2023 Federal Budget:
- From 1 July 2023 Employment Facilitators will have access to a flexible funding pool for small scale local activities that help address community identified needs.
- Additional Employment Facilitators will be placed into regions that are experiencing rapid and significant challenges, including as part of the transition to a clean energy future.
Watch this space for more detailed information.
Local Jobs
Workforce Australia Local Jobs (Local Jobs) supports the development and implementation of tailored approaches to accelerate reskilling, upskilling and employment across Australia and seeks to provide tailored responses to support local labour markets.
The aim of the program is to ensure the maximum number of people are placed in appropriate employment or training opportunities to meet employer needs in the current labour market. This will be achieved by bringing together expertise, resources and access to funding at the local level to focus on reskilling, upskilling and employment pathways.
A key feature of the program is bringing together key local stakeholders including employers, employment services providers, education and training organisations to work collaboratively to design projects and develop solutions and Local Recovery Fund activities that skill people to meet local employer demand.
Eligible Workforce Australia Services Participants will be able to participate in activities funded through the Local Recovery Fund.
The program is delivered in all 51 Employment Regions across Australia, in each of these Employment Regions the program provides for:
- an Employment Facilitator
- a Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce
- a Local Jobs Plan tailored to local labour market circumstances
- projects and activities that provide local solutions to address barriers to employment, funded through a Local Recovery Fund or the National Priority Fund.
View the Local Jobs fact sheet.
Employment Facilitators
Employment Facilitators support the delivery of the program across 51 Employment Regions. Employment Facilitators are contracted by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations to bring together key stakeholders including employers, employment services providers, education and training organisations to work collaboratively to address the priorities identified in the Local Jobs Plan. They also chair Local Jobs and Skills Taskforces.
Local Jobs and Skills Taskforces
Each Employment Region has its own Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce. Taskforces have representation from key local stakeholders such as employer representatives, Chambers of Commerce, education and training providers, social support organisations, employment services providers, and local and state government.
Taskforce members volunteer to be part of the program and are highly valued for bringing their industry perspective to the region. They work together to develop solutions to move people into work or training by putting local employer needs at the centre of their actions and addressing the employment barriers of local individuals.
Each Taskforce is involved in reviewing and maintaining the currency of a Local Jobs Plan that identifies key employment priorities for the region and opportunities to better skill people to meet employer needs.
Local Jobs Plan
Employment Facilitators, in conjunction with their Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce establish a Local Jobs Plan tailored to the region to identify key employment priorities which will drive significant improvement in labour market outcomes.
The Local Jobs Plan will identify key employment opportunities, education and skill development requirements and labour supply and cohort information to inform strategies for reskilling, upskilling and other interventions to meet the needs of employers and get people into work.
The Local Jobs Plan will assist the Taskforce to develop targeted activities that meet key priorities and focus on creating employment opportunities, meeting local employer demands and better skilling local job seekers.
Local Jobs Plans are published on the Employment Facilitators and Employment Region webpages.
Local Recovery Fund
A Local Recovery Fund is available across the 51 Employment Regions. The Local Recovery Fund supports locally driven initiatives that meet the priorities identified in the Local Jobs Plan and are tailored to the opportunities and needs identified in each region.
We encourage anyone interested in proposing Local Recovery Fund activities or linking employment opportunities with an activity to contact their local Employment Facilitator to discuss further.
Workforce Australia Services Participants should contact their Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider to discuss their eligibility to participate in a Local Recovery Fund activities.
National Priority Fund
The National Priority Fund provides $50 million (GST excl) over four years (from 2021 to 2025) for initiatives that provide innovative local solutions to address structural and other barriers to attract, recruit and retain Australian individuals and workers in employment, and support job creation initiatives.
Learn how Local Jobs is providing pathways for individuals to get back into employment, and helping employers to find the staff they need.
Contact Us
For further information on the Local Jobs, please email localjobs@dewr.gov.au, or contact the department’s National Customer Service Line on 1800 805 260.