A program creating jobs in the region’s most-disadvantaged areas has won another financial windfall.
State Government will give an additional $750,000 to G21 Region Opportunities for Work (GROW) after granting the program $1 million for its first five years, from 2016 to 2021.
Other organisations have committed several million more dollars to GROW since its foundation in 2014.
Give Where You Live Foundation and G21 Geelong Region Alliance, a grouping of five local municipalities, established the scheme to encourage sourcing of supplies and labour in areas with high unemployment rates.
Whittington, Norlane and Corio are the programs “target” areas, along with Colac.
GROW was delivering results, said Give Where You Life Foundation chief Bill Mithen.
“Earlier this month GROW announced outcomes based on expenditure data collected from 16 … signatory organisations, showing a $20.2 million increase in local procurement, leading to 179 jobs in the region broadly over a 12-month period,” Mr Mithen said.
“Most importantly, we reported 75 on-the-ground specific jobs in disadvantaged target communities.
“Collectively, for every $1 million spent locally about 8.84 new jobs can potentially be created. And there are obvious commercial benefits for those companies agreeing to procure locally wherever possible.”
The latest state money would “help secure GROW’s work” in the region, Mr Mithen said.
“Today’s announcement will go a long way to ensuring GROW continues to benefit the region but specifically those in disadvantaged areas.
“Some 82 businesses and other organisations have signed the GROW compact in the G21 region, committing to procure and employ locally wherever practical.”
Addressing entrenched disadvantage was “in many ways about cultural change and collective action”, said G21 chief Elaine Carbines.
“Our GROW compact signatories continue to illustrate why our region has flourished as it undertakes such an initiative,” she said.
“These plans are a catalyst for change in disadvantaged communities. GROW signatories are identifying and developing innovative opportunities to drive meaningful transformation in people’s lives, their own organisations and the broader economy.
“We’re delighted that the groundwork and hard-slog put in by G21 and Give Where You Live Foundation with the support of local businesses and organisations has shown what’s possible and has inspired others to follow.”
The State Government has also announced plans to roll out the program in other Victorian areas, with Ballarat and Gippsland first in line.
