Jobfind helps SE Qld's employer's benefit from 'millions' of unclaimed Government dollars

Assistance Helps Duffy Bus Driver Secure Employment after 248 Weeks Unemployment, Quickly Win Payrise  

Sydney, 23 January, 2007 – Jobfind Centres Australia Pty Ltd is helping SE Queensland’s employers take advantage of the millions of dollars worth of Government-funded ‘Employer Assistance Packages’ that are available to businesses that employ job seekers moving into the workforce after an absence from paid employment.

These job seekers might include parents or other family carers returning to work after a break, people with disabilities, the mature aged, or indigenous Australians and other people from remote communities where work is scarce.

There are also incentives for employers to provide apprenticeships and short-term work experience.

According to Con Kittos, the CEO of Jobfind, “There are millions of dollars in potential assistance packages currently unclaimed by employers in Australia, largely because employers are unwilling to look outside of traditional resources for staff. Most commonly, they look to their competitors for new recruits.

In the Greater Bundaberg Region, unemployment is currently running at around 9.2%. This provides a huge pool of untapped talent for employers looking to recruit new employees. Yet this group is often overlooked in favour of people in current employment.

Interestingly, Jobfind’s surveys consistently show that employers want a good attitude and enthusiasm over skills, because skills can be taught. The EAPs are available to help businesses up-skill new recruits, or build facilities to cater to specific needs, such as a wheelchair ramp, so that talent isn’t wasted simply for the want of some easily-provided training or equipment.

Employers who seek outside the square are not only rewarded with enthusiastic and committed new recruits: they may be eligible to claim a useful financial bonus and other support services available through Job Network providers such as Jobfind. It’s a win-win situation.”

In the Bundaberg region, an EAP enabled Duffy City Buses to employ David Luhrmann as a driver eight months ago.

He had previously been unemployed for 248 weeks, with an intervertebral disc disorder and osteoarthritis making it difficult to attend interviews and secure employment. As a result of having to take high dosage medication, and being unemployed for an extended period, Mr Luhrmann had begun to despair of re-gaining employment, and suffered what he calls the ‘four walls syndrome’.

However, Jobfind worked with him to re-motivate him and find appropriate employment opportunities in the region.

The Jobfind team was excellent,” said Mr Luhrmann, “With their warmth, friendliness and professionalism, I picked my self esteem up and rediscovered the power of positive thought.”

This led to a job offer from Duffy City Buses, involving driving buses on two runs morning and afternoon. After trialing Mr Luhrmann and being impressed with his ‘can-do attitude’, the company was happy to work sympathetically with his medical condition in order to facilitiate his continued employment. For example, it has scheduled special stops on Mr Luhrmann’s route to enable him to walk and stretch his back.

It’s a terrific company to work for,” said an enthusiastic Mr Luhrmann. “The bosses regularly inquire as to my state of health, and offer support and ongoing encouragement. This is the very best workplace that I have been in, and I intend to stay in it for as long as possible.”

To support Mr Luhrmann’s long-term goals, Jobfind has now also negotiated an EAP for Duffy City Buses. This enabled the company to provide a special massage chair for the staff room, which all drivers can take advantage of. More importantly, the EAP has enabled the company to commit to continuous employment for Mr Luhrmann even during low service periods such as school holidays.

As a result, while only required to work eight hours per week under the conditions of his disability allowance, Mr Luhrmann now works typically 20 hours or more per week.

“I’m so proud of what I’ve achieved in such a short time,” said Mr Luhrmann, “I can’t thank Jobfind and Duffy City Buses enough.”

Such has been the success of the match, that Mr Luhrmann has recently been awarded a pay rise by his happy employer, as well as an increasing number of shifts.

Chris Duffy, manager at Duffy City Buses, said, ”It can be a stab in the dark employing anyone new, so we might not have looked at someone with an obvious disadvantage during the recruitment phase if it wasn’t for the financial incentive of the EAP. But Jobfind’s support and the EAP encouraged us to trial David, and we’re so glad we did because he’s turned out to be a really great find for us. He is such a professional and obliging employee, and we plan to hang onto him for as long as we can.

From this experience, we would highly recommend that employers in this area talk to Jobfind about EAP-relevant applicants: they might be pleasantly surprised at the quality of job seekers out there whom they might otherwise overlook.”

Contact information:
info@jobfindcentre.com.au