The NSW Greens have cautiously welcomed the announcement of a $1m employment facilitator pilot for the South Coast region. The announcement will go some way to restoring the employment coordinator program that was cut by the Abbott Government in 2014.

The NSW Greens have cautiously welcomed the announcement of a $1m employment facilitator pilot for the South Coast region. The announcement will go some way to restoring the employment coordinator program that was cut by the Abbott Government in 2014.

NSW Greens South Coast spokesperson and Shoalhaven resident Justin Field said, “Unemployment across the Shoalhaven has been consistently high since the Abbott Government cut a similar long-term employment coordinator program in 2014.  

“I welcome today’s announcement and it reflects much of the feedback that came out of the youth unemployment forum held in Nowra last year.

“The forum recognised the essential need for better coordination of employment services, mentoring support for young people and ensuring those looking for work had access to education, training and employment with better local transport.

“It is also critical to restore the TAFE network across the region to ensure people have the opportunities to build the skills and knowledge they need to gain employment, particularly in those growth areas of agriculture, health, aged care, and hospitality.

“It is telling that Ms Sudmalis said in her announcement today that she has only recently found out that the local dairy and other agricultural industries are screaming out for support to help train and bring young people into local employment. These exact points were made in last year’s forum and have been part of the public discussion for some time. I’m glad to see the Coalition has finally got the message.

“I’ll be seeking a meeting with Regional Development Australia and the new Employment Facilitator when they start in the position to go through the findings of last year’s forum and to assist where I can to get the most out of this investment for our region," Mr Field said.

The findings of the South Coast Youth Unemployment Forum from 2017 can be see here.