Better Connections workshops
Better Connections workshops
The Better Connections Workshops were funded under the $50 million Employer Demand and Workplace Flexibility Strategy announced as part of the Welfare to Work reforms in the May 2005 Budget.
The workshops brought together employment services providers, Commonwealth, State and local government agencies, local chambers of commerce and industry and a range of other key stakeholders at the local level to focus on building better linkages between program, services and activities to develop practical strategies to address labour demand and supply issues.
The objective of the workshops was to improve labour market effectiveness by addressing labour supply and skill shortage issues, increasing labour market participation and reducing unemployment. At workshops attendees participated in developing a regional action plan to further improve linkages and employment in the region.
For 2007-2008, participant feedback showed that 78 per cent of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the workshop they attended helped them to build linkages with other organisations in their local area; 70 per cent of respondents reported that the workshop enhanced their understanding of skills shortages in the local area and 82 per cent intended to take specific action as a result of the workshop Action Plan, developed on the day.
In 2006-07 four workshops were held focusing on areas with a high population of Muslim people. Over the period of the initiative 96 better Connections workshops were held, and six of the workshops held focused specifically on the employment issues of humanitarian entrant job seekers.
You can view the locations of workshops Location of Workshop locations 2004 -2008 and copies of 2007-08 presentations below:
Previous Better Connections workshops