A decent job is worth more than just a pay cheque. It’s about creating security and certainty for you and the people you love most.

As we rebuild from this pandemic, the Andrews Labor Government wants to make sure more Victorians can rely on a decent, steady job.

We are putting workers front and centre in our recovery, with an unprecedented investment in job creation and employment support across Victoria – particularly for women, young people and older people most impacted by this pandemic.

The Victorian Budget 2020/21 invests a record $619.4 million to deliver a bigger, more hands-on Jobs Victoria network – connecting jobseekers to the job they need to get back to work.

A $266.5 million investment will enable Jobs Victoria to deliver face-to-face intensive support to those who need extra help – a trebling of the existing support and creating hundreds of new positions including mentors, advocates and counsellors to support jobseekers.

The new jobs mentors will work with jobseekers to get them ready for work, and new careers counsellors will help people to hone their goals and match them with a job.

A dedicated team of Jobs Victoria advocates will hit the streets, reaching out to jobseekers in their communities. They will listen to jobseekers in their homes, at local libraries and in shopping centres, and connect them with what they need to get back to work, including training, skills upgrades and mentoring.

Jobseekers will also be able to quickly and easily access information and assistance through an expanded Jobs Victoria online platform. A new dedicated Jobs Victoria hotline will be created to provide people with personalised advice and referrals when they need it.

The Labor Government will also invest $250 million to create around 10,000 jobs, using wage subsidies to support Victorians who need a hand up to find a steady job.

These jobs will be identified in partnership with business and the community sector, and made available to Victorians, particularly benefiting those hardest hit by this pandemic, including young people, retrenched workers and people who are long-term unemployed.

At least $150 million of subsidy support will go towards getting women back into work – particularly women over the age of 45, recognising the additional barriers they face.

An additional $5 million will fund traineeships for young people in the Victorian public sector – providing a crucial first step on a path to a career – and $5 million will support the Labor Government’s ongoing commitment to increase opportunities for women in construction roles.

Suburbs and regional communities with high unemployment will benefit from $12.1 million in initiatives to help unlock local job opportunities – bringing together community organisations, local businesses and government to help match local jobseekers struggling to find work with local job opportunities.

A flexible fund of $10.9 million will support jobseekers with practical support to get them job ready – from a resume refresh to something as simple as providing a new shirt so they look professional in their interview.

A further $2 million investment will ensure Victorian Government investments are working harder to support jobseekers, by working closely with industry on social procurement and the creation of new jobs.

A $15 million investment will support JobsBank – an independent not-for-profit organisation established in 2019 – to strengthen its work with employers, promoting the benefits of inclusive employment for businesses and workers and a greater understanding of Victoria’s social procurement framework.

The Budget will also increase opportunity and economic prosperity for Victorian Aboriginal communities with $7.31 million to support bodies including the Kinaway Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce and enable investment in Aboriginal tourism initiatives and $3 million for the First People’s COVID-19 Business Support Fund to support Aboriginal businesses impacted by the pandemic with grants of up to $10,000.

The Impact 21 program will create new employment pathways for people with an intellectual disability by developing work-ready skills in secondary school and tailoring roles and support in collaboration with employers.

These new programs follow the success of the $587.5 million Working for Victoria initiative, which has created more than 11,000 jobs across the state since its launch in the early months of the pandemic.