Michael Sukkar MP

Making Victorian job services more efficient and effective

Joint Media Release

Making Victorian job services more efficient and effective

Assistant Minister for Employment Luke Hartsuyker today visited three job service providers in the Federal electorate of Deakin, as part of the Coalition Government’s commitment to improve the employment services sector.

The Minister met with Mission Australia, Reed in Partnership and Sarina Russo during a visit organised by local member Michael Sukkar.

Mr Hartsuyker is consulting stakeholders in order to make the employment services sector more efficient and effective.

“Meeting with job service providers on the ground is an important part of our review into delivering better employment outcomes through Job Services Australia,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“The reality is the Coalition Government has inherited an employment services system which is bound in red tape and is not meeting the needs of job seekers and employers.

“That is why I accepted Michael Sukkar’s invitation to visit the Deakin electorate and meet with local job service providers.

“The Government has already moved to reduce red tape for job service providers through measures including scrapping requirements to keep paper records and simplifying arrangements for contract changes.

“But I know there is more that needs to be done and I welcome the views of staff from these three local offices.”

Mr Sukkar said he wanted to ensure Minister Hartsuyker received a first-hand look at how job service providers were delivering services in the Deakin electorate.

“Although the local unemployment rate is slightly lower than the national average, it has risen over the past year,” Mr Sukkar said.

“It is therefore important that our job services are in a position to respond to the more challenging labour market.

“Today’s visit provided local job service providers with the opportunity to tell the Minister how local employment services can be delivered more effectively.”

Mr Hartsuyker commended all three organisations for their focus on helping job seekers identify opportunities and navigate the Australian job market.

“Mission Australia has 3500 staff—1,500 of them volunteers—and provides 450 services in every state and territory across Australia,” Mr Hartsuyker said.

“Reed in Partnership has placed over 90,000 people into work ranging from local businesses to large national corporations.

“Sarina Russo Job Access delivers employment services in 24 locations nationwide and has placed 115,000 job seekers since 2004.

“Delivering employment services which meet the needs of the unemployed can be hard given the different individual circumstances of job seekers and labour market diversity across Australia.

“This Government is committed to targeting employment programmes appropriately at job seekers and employers.”

Mr Hartsuyker said the Coalition Government wants to see every Australian who is capable of working find a job.

“We face a big challenge, as the current figures show, with full-time employment suffering its largest calendar year decline since December 1992,” he said.

“However, we are committed to creating one million jobs over the next five years and two million jobs over the next decade.”

For further information on Job Services Australia www.employment.gov.au

Assistant Minister Hartsuyker’s office: Greg Pierce 0408 532 785
Department Media: media@deewr.gov.au