Yarra Ranges Council will be hiring more than 160 support workers impacted by COVID-19, thanks to the Victorian Government’s Working for Victoria initiative.
Council was successful in its application to have 164 temporary support roles created through the Victorian Government program, which matches jobseekers, including those who lost work as a result of the coronavirus’ economic impact, with employers who need staff.
Yarra Ranges Mayor, Richard Higgins, said that recruitment would begin shortly for roles across 23 teams, which include cleaning of buildings and public spaces, outreach support for vulnerable community members, community engagement and planning.
“We’ve heard a lot from our community in the last two months about the unprecedented impact that COVID-19 has had on businesses, employment and household finances,” Cr Higgins said.
“At the same time, we’ve had a dramatic increase in demand for services such as cleaning, support for our vulnerable community members, assistance with rates and other Council services.
“I’m proud to say that, thanks to Working for Victoria, we’ll be creating more than 160 temporary roles. This will help people in our community access employment, help Council to continue serving the community and help the community to recover from this period of extreme upheaval.
“We will be streamlining our recruitment process to get people into jobs as soon as possible, with a priority of hiring people from our community to fill these roles wherever possible.”
The Working for Victoria initiative will fund these roles up to six-month basis, including all supporting costs such as personal protective equipment (PPE).
Community members looking for work can register for Working for Victoria to then be matched with employers seeking staff.
To register for Working for Victoria, visit www.vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria
