NDS welcomes the Victorian Government’s announcement of the Jobs that Matter campaign and Job Guarantee program, as part of a broad program to address social services workforce challenges.

The Jobs that Matter campaign targets job seekers, job changers, and graduates and highlights a range of roles available across the community services sector that make a real difference to the lives of people, including those with disability. The campaign will run across television, radio, outdoors, in print and online, and social media including translated assets for multicultural communities.

The $39 million Job program will guarantee all students a 12-month position in the social services sector, including in disability services, when they graduate from the Diploma of Community Services between 1 September 2022 and 31 August 2024. Graduates will receive wrap around support to assist their transitioning to employment. Pre-registrations will begin on 1 September and job matching will start on 1 October. The Diploma of Community Services is a free TAFE course.

The initiatives seek to address the following challenges:

• Workforce supply is not keeping pace with community demand
• Many social service graduates do not end up working in the sector with around half of all students who complete free TAFE courses ending up in a relevant social services job
• Entry level workers face distinct challenges, leading to attrition

NDS understands that social service organisations, including disability service employers, will be supported to take on graduates, fill vacancies, and develop their organisations. NDS will promote further information once available. In the meantime, interested employers looking to recruit Diploma of Community Services graduates can email info@jobs.vic.gov.au or visit Jobs that matter | on the Victorian Government website.