The Jobs Fund

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The Jobs Fund

• Australian Government Initiative

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What is the Jobs Fund?

• 650 million for community infrastructure and
  social capital development
• Provides one-off grants
• 3 streams of funding

3
What are the objectives?

• Supports and creates jobs
• Supports skill development for the future
• Builds social capital
• Provides long term improvements in local
  communities affected by economic downturn

4
What are the 3 streams?

• Local Jobs - 300 million over 2 years
• Get Communities Working - 200 million over 2
  years
• Infrastructure Employment Projects - 150 million
  over 2 years

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Local Jobs

• 300 million over 2 years for community
  infrastructure projects that promote
  environment-friendly technology and heritage.
• includes 60 million for heritage related
  projects
• includes 40 million for bike paths
• Maximum per project 2 million

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What types of projects can be funded under Local
Jobs?

• General examples include
• Readiness of NFP organisations for climate change
  impacts
• Installing energy efficiencies to reduce carbon
  emissions
• Landscaping to improve indoor energy efficiency
  and comfort in community buildings
• Protection, conservation and interpretation of
  historic, Indigenous and natural heritage places
• Environmental projects related to the Australian
  Governments Caring for Our Country initiative
• Support for community hubs in areas of need
• Caring for our natural environment community
  education programs

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What types of Heritage Projects can be funded
under Local Jobs?

• 5 categories
• National Heritage-listed places - total 16m
• Historic properties managed by the National Trust
  - total 12m
• Community grants (large projects) for heritage
  places of local, state or national significance -
  total 11.4m
• Community grants (small projects) total 10m
• Natural heritage projects in the World Heritage
  List total 8.6m
• Must deliver employment, economic and positive
  heritage outcomes
• Must be supported by local communities

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What types of bike path projects can be funded
under Local Jobs?

• New, extensions or refurbishment of existing
• Off-road bike paths
• On-road bike lanes
• Bicycle parking facilities
• Must demonstrate local job creation and provision
  of alternative transport options

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Get Communities Working

• 200 million over 2 years seed funding for for
  self-sustaining projects which create jobs and
  improve community amenity
• includes 11 million Temporary Financial
  Assistance for non-profit organisations whose
  donor base is affected by economic downturn
• Maximum per project 2 million

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What types of projects can be funded under Get
Communities Working?

• Health and wellbeing projects leading to skills
  development in disadvantaged areas
• Community enhancement projects eg upgrading
  community facilities in areas of locational
  disadvantage
• Local government jobs for additional services
• Seed funding for establishment or expansion of
  social enterprises
• Labour pool projects eg. NFP labour hire agencies
• Support to establish service hub models in areas
  with entrenched disadvantage or affected by the
  economic downturn
• Employment of retrenched workers by community
  organisations for capacity building
• Temporary financial assistance for non-profit
  organisations

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Infrastructure Employment Projects

• 150 million over 2 years for infrastructure
  projects which generate jobs in regions affected
  by economic downturn
• builds on 800 million Community Infrastructure
  Program
• projects initiated by Australian Government
• No maximum amount per project

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What types of projects can be funded under
Infrastructure Employment?

• New and major renovations or refurbishments eg
• Social and cultural infrastructure
• Recreational facilities
• Tourism infrastructure
• Children, youth and seniors facilities
• Access facilities eg. road, rail and local
  government owned/managed airport related
  infrastructure
• Environmental initiatives

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What criteria should a project meet?

• Projects must
• create jobs or retain people in jobs at risk due
  to the downturn or
• build skills for the future or
• build community infrastructure or improve
  community amenity which generates local jobs or
• provide seed funding for social enterprises to
  start up, maintain or expand services, generating
  jobs and improving community services.

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What criteria should a project meet?

• All 3 streams of funding have the following
  gateway criteria
• Projects in areas experiencing high unemployment,
  a significant rise in unemployment or
  vulnerability
• Projects must be viable and ready to start
• Projects will be expected to be self-sufficient
  and/or not require Australian Government funding
  beyond 30 June 2011

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Who can apply?

• non-profit organisations
• employment services providers
• industry associations
• unions
• peak bodies
• regional development agencies
• local/state/territory governments
• community organisations
• Organisations need to demonstrate their capacity
  to deliver the activity, service, or
  infrastructure outcome proposed.

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What are Priority Areas?

• 7 priority areas initially identified as part of
  the Jobs and Training Compact based on labour
  market analysis
• 1 Priority Area has been identified in Queensland
  Ipswich/Logan
• The Government will identify further priority
  areas over the next 6 months
• Local Employment Co-ordinators will be
  progressively deployed in additional priority
  areas as they are identified as requiring this
  assistance

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Local Employment Coordinators

• LECs will be appointed in targeted areas to
• co-ordinate and drive local responses to job
  losses and declining economic demand in targeted
  areas
• promote the take up of Commonwealth and State
  education, training, infrastructure and stimulus
  measures at the local level
• work with community stakeholders to identify and
  develop projects that might be funded under the
  Local Jobs and Get Community Working streams
• ensure there are rapid response strategies for
  redundant workers
• facilitate government/community/business
  partnerships to stimulate the local economy and
  generate opportunities for new jobs
• broker agreements between Commonwealth, State and
  Local Government to align efforts of all levels
  of government and strengthen community supports

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Where do I find more information?

• Information including a Fact Sheet, Guidelines,
  Proposal for Funding and common Questions and
  Answers are at http//www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/
  Pages/JobsFund.aspx
• Queries and proposals can be directed to
  jobs.fund_at_DEEWR.gov.au
• For proposals in the Ipswich/Logan priority area
  please contact
• Samantha Wilson Michael Meehan
• Interim Local Employment Coordinator Project
  Officer
• [phone] (07) 3223 1307
• 0423 605 631 0421 582 444
• samantha.wilson_at_deewr.gov.au michael.meehan_at_deewr
  .gov.au

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