Jobs go to Expo

By Nicole Williams
JOBS seekers were given a ray of hope at last week’s Australian Government Jobs and Skills Expo.
Close to 9000 people filled the Dandenong Market merchandise hall on Thursday 12 April for the chance to speak to employers and skills providers in the local area, and apply for over 1000 jobs.
Dandenong resident, Paulette Clarke, said putting jobs, employers and skills providers together gave job hunters hope in a tough job market.
“It’s all out there and it gives you hope,” she said.
“When you are looking for work sometimes you feel alone but then you come out here and realise there are so many opportunities.”
Ms Clarke was investigating jobs in the community service as well as up-skilling.
“You have all your different services here in your area of expertise or the area you want to go in,” she said.
“You find so many different places that you can get information or help, for yourself or even friends.”
Minister for Human Services Kim Carr said the expo was needed in areas like Greater Dandenong.
“It’s important in this region because unemployment is so high; it’s 11 percent in Greater Dandenong. That means for every job there are 13 people looking for work,” he said.
“That is a high unemployment number but this is a vibrant community, a blue collar community, a community that has 20 percent of employment in manufacturing and so it is feeling the brunt.”
Mr Carr said there were more than 1000 job opportunities on the day and attendees submitted 1463 resumes to the 103 exhibitors.
”Exhibitors have told us as-many-as 700 job seekers may be placed in jobs – real jobs for people seeking work now,” he said.
All jobs available on the day were made public by placing an advertisement on two jobs boards near the entrance to the expo.
It is the first Jobs and Skills expo to be held in Dandenong since 2010, where the expo broke attendance records, with more than 10,000 people attended.