Tara Murray
A free advice and support employment service is already up and running in the Barwon region.
The statewide employment service is being established as part of the $619 million Jobs Victoria initiative, which supports people looking for work and connects employers with the staff they need.
More than 420 Jobs Victoria employment service staff have now come on board, with a further 180 mentors, advocates and counsellors to be added to the burgeoning program.
In the Barwon region, five advocates and eight Jobs Victoria partners are already working with clients.
Mentors will help people find a job that suits them and support them in their role for the first six months.
They will also assist people who have been unemployed for six months or more, or are without a job and at risk of long-term unemployment, and can also connect employers with suitable local candidates.
Jobs Victoria also supports employers and small businesses by helping them find staff and apply for wage subsidies to grow their businesses.
Geelong MP Christine Couzens said having staff on the ground helping people prepare for and find work will make a huge difference for jobseekers in Geelong.
