Employer Demand Demonstration Projects
Discretionary Grant Initiatives
The Department administered two Discretionary Grant initiatives aimed at increasing employment participation of disadvantaged job seekers. These initiatives were: the Employer Demand Demonstration Projects (EDDP) and the Mature Age Industry Strategy (MAIS). The initiatives targeted industries that were considered to have high employment growth and strong opportunities for job seekers such as; accommodation, cafés and restaurants; agriculture, forestry and fishing; building and construction; health and community services; manufacturing; mining; property and business services; retail; and transport.
EDDP provided funding for innovative recruitment, employment and retention strategies to increase the workforce participation of job seekers on income support or registered with an employment services provider from one or more of the following key target groups: people with disability, parents, mature age people (people aged 50 years +) and the very long-term unemployed (people who have been unemployed for more than 30 months).
MAIS provided funding for industry specific projects to develop good-practice recruitment and retention projects that increase the workforce participation of mature age people in order to meet the demand for labour and skills.
There were 10 projects funded jointly by EDDP and MAIS.
Discretionary Grant funded projects
A list of funded projects by industry is available below:
Employer Demand Demonstration Projects
Employer Demand Demonstration Projects (EDDP) were a component of the welfare to work initiative announced in the 2005 Budget. The initiative provided small grant funding of $6.8 million over three years for demonstration projects - $2 million in 2005-06, $2.3 million in 2006-07 and $2.5 million in 2007-08. Funding for EDDP ceased on 30 June 2008.
A component of EDDP provided seed funding of up to $30,000 to employment services providers.
Over the life of EDDP more than 300 proposals were received. A total of 120 proposals were funded including 37 by Employment Services Providers.
Mature Age Industry Strategy Project funds
The Mature Age Industry Strategy (MAIS) was a component the broader Mature Age Employment and Workplace Strategy (MAEWS) announced in the 2004-05 Budget and providing $12.1 million over four years. The Mature Age Industry Strategy fund ceased on 30 June 2008.
Over the life of the program, 38 proposals were funded including 10 projects funded jointly with the Employer Demand Demonstration Projects (EDDP).