Michaelia Cash (WA, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection) Share this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Lindgren for her question. I am pleased to inform the Senate that the government recently announced a new initiative in partnership with UnitingCare Australia that will assist mothers and women to get back into the workforce. The scheme will create jobs pathways for women who will be selected and placed into ongoing employment with UnitingCare agencies across Australia in the community and aged-care sectors. The scheme will be piloted at sites in Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide and will commence on 1 July 2015.

This initiative will be particularly helpful for women who have spent time caring for children or other family members and who now wish to re-enter the workforce. The scheme will also provide opportunities for those disadvantaged and vulnerable women to access employment pathways, which will of course help break down the barriers to workforce participation and assist them and their families out of the poverty cycle.

Pre-employment training and other requirements for applicants will be identified and addressed as part of the scheme. Induction training, mentoring, peer support, and post-placement support will be provided to maximise the opportunity for successful and ongoing integration back into the workforce. It is based on job seeker services and funding in place under the employment services model which commences on 1 July.

This is an entrepreneurial and practical approach to creating jobs pathways for women who have been out of the workforce and may not realise the skills they already have. Positions that will be taken up could be in areas, including: transport and administration; aged care; early-years care; palliative care; disability; and homeless support work. This project is a win-win for the women themselves; their families; the sectors in which they will be working; UnitingCare Australia, which will provide the vital services to the community; and the Australian community as a whole.