On Creating New Jobs and Apprenticeships Across Victoria and Its Importance

Jobs for everyone – right now, that’s what most countries are prioritizing especially after the effects of the pandemic. We all know that from 2020-to 2021, people have lost jobs due to the restrictions and regulations to control the spread of the virus. Now that we are slowly moving towards a calmer situation, programs must be put in place for the rehabilitation of industries and to support workers.

The Andrews Labor Government announced its efforts to create more jobs for Victorians across the state. This news was announced after Victoria hit a record low in unemployment in the three months to February this year. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics last 24th of March, Victoria’s regional unemployment rate decreased to 3.0 percent. This rate is considered the lowest ever recorded for the state of Victoria. The national regional rate recorded 4.0 percent, which makes regional Victoria a full percentage lower.

According to statistics, about 550,000 jobs have been created since November 2014. In addition, in the twelve months to February, Victoria has recorded the lowest unemployment among youth in all of the states with an 8 percent drop.

What does this say? The Government really has a lot to do in terms of improving people’s quality of life. With the right efforts and initiatives, the Government has the power to give people livelihood which will make a whole lot of difference for the people and the economy.

In February, a record high in terms of the participation rate for the state of Victoria. This means that there are more Victorians employed now than ever before. During the peak of the second wave of the COVID-19 virus in September of 2020, Victoria also recorded 282,000 jobs created which led the nation in terms of employment. Due to investments and initiatives that had reached about $13 billion, this number will grow furthermore now because different industries are surging back to life across the state of Victoria.

In addition to the financial support for Victoria to build more jobs. Aside from funding to help the state recover from the effects of the pandemic, there also has been the support provided to help regional Victoria recover from the impact of bushfires as outlined in the Visitor Economy and reform plan.

In connection with creating more jobs for Victorians, the Government announced that they are investing in skills and training for those who wish to build a career in the building and construction industry. The apprenticeship program wherein young Victorians will be trained to learn the ropes of different industries was first launched in 2020, and since then, the growth has been unprecedented. According to

The latest National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), Victoria is currently leading Australia with the highest increase in apprenticeship commencements, doubling to almost 50,000 Victorians in the 12 months to September 2021. In September alone, there have been more than 9,500 apprenticeships that took place with automotive and engineering, plus electrotechnology and telecommunications being the most popular. According to the latest reports, the number of female apprentices and trainees increased by an astounding 71.7 percent. These apprenticeships in Victoria are helping future job seekers to find connections and become eventually employed in the industry they are interested in.

The Big Build Apprenticeships program with a budget of $33 million was created in order to provide opportunities to Victorian apprentices and trainees. This ensures that Victorians will be job-ready for meaningful careers, and for the next four years, the program is said to kickstart so many that would contribute to the growth of the economy.