[Sub ID 4573] Career Generator (Melbourne City Mission)

Submission ID: 4573
Organisation name: Melbourne City Mission
Contact name: Ms Gemma O’Brien
State: VIC
Contact email: gobrien@mcm.org.au

Which priority group of the Try, Test and Learn Fund does your idea support?
Young carers, Young parents, Young students at risk of long-term unemployment

What need or issue are you trying to address?
‘Career Generator (or Career-Gen)’ is an idea to address both the demand and supply issues of employment (of the identified young populations at risk of long term-unemployment) in the rapidly expanding infrastructure sector in Victoria.

1. Supply issue:
There is a supply shortage of employment opportunities for the identified cohorts.
a. There are limited opportunities available to the whole market
b. Many of these candidates are not job ready – lacking the personal, professional and technical skills required for employment
c. Many of these candidates require flexible employment conditions (due to caring and other responsibilities). This makes labour hire (short term, varied hours) suitable for many.

2. Demand issue:
The Victorian Government has 4 major infrastructure projects to be delivered in the next 5 years, totalling $33.1 billion (The Western Distributor, Level Crossing, Metro tunnel and Port of Melbourne).
– All projects require compliance with the ‘Major Project Skills Guarantee’. This requires that all publicly funded works contracts valued $20+million use local apprentices, trainees or engineering cadets for at least ten per cent of the total estimated labour hours. Tenderers are required to draw from generally under-represented in industry vocational training such as women, and/or who face barriers to vocational training or the workforce more gen

What is your idea?
To establish a labour hire social enterprise that would provide personnel management, group training and employment services exclusively targeting the priority group/s.

It would begin with an initial focus on the infrastructure sector where there is an identified deficit of available labour to fulfill Victoria’s ‘Major Projects Skills Guarantee.’

This could be:
a. a holistic recruitment social enterprise OR
b. a joint venture between an existing labour hire business and an employability specialist with experience and expertise working with the priority group.

Services the social enterprise would provide may include:
o Labour Hire/Temping: Candidates are released to the client on an hourly award rate as per need of the work required.
o Direct Employment – Candidates are hired directly into roles through the entity. The entity provides six months of one-on-one mentoring.
o Traineeships and Apprenticeships – the entity would be an RTO, capable of providing Nationally accredited vocational skills development
o On the Job Mentoring (for Candidates) – mentoring, coaching and other post-placement support services offered to the Candidate.
o Post placement support for Employers – mentoring, coaching and other post-placement support services offered to the employer.
o Pre-Employment Technical Training – Pre-employment training candidates the entry level skill set required to meet industry needs.
o Pre-Employability Personal & Professional Growth Training – to provide candidates with a solid foundation of self and interpersonal skills to prepare for employment.