By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
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UP to 5000 job seekers are expected to flock to a ‘jobs market’ in Dandenong this Thursday to hopefully snag one of dozens of vacancies.
The federal government’s Jobs and Skills Expo at Dandenong Market will give job seekers the chance to meet up to 80 employers, recruiters and registered trainers.
At Dandenong’s first expo in April 2010, about 800 of a crowd of 11,000 found work. At the time, the local unemployment rate was similar to today’s, hovering at 11 per cent and more than double the state average. Unemployment has fallen from 13 per cent at the end of 2010 to 11 per cent at December 2011.
South East Melbourne Manufacturers Alliance executive officer Paul Dowling said the forum was great for employers to interact with potential workers.
He said manufacturers were generally low on confidence but hopeful for a brighter outlook in Europe and the US. “It’s mixed out there at the moment. There are still some companies looking for specific types of people.”
Dandenong Retail Traders Association president Roy Aspinall said the drop in unemployment may reflect the state government’s investment in revitalising central Dandenong.
“Hopefully, the improvement will flow through to retail. Hopefully, as the progress of central Dandenong goes on, bigger shops will go in there and more jobs are created.”
Susie Matthews, the Australian Government’s Department of Human Services manager for Dandenong, said the expo was about giving job seekers an opportunity and connecting employers with people willing to work.
“Job seekers don’t want a hand-out – they want a leg-up. They should come and see the variety of jobs and skills training opportunities available. It will be like doing six weeks of job search in one day.”
The exhibitors include Bombardier, Jayco, Ventura Bus Lines, Victoria Police and Woolworths.
The Australian Government Jobs and Skills Expo is at Dandenong Market from 10am-3pm on Thursday.
THE NUMBERS
Unemployment rates in Greater Dandenong:
Dandenong
■ 13 per cent (December 2010)
■ 11.0 per cent (December 2011)
Rest of Greater Dandenong
■ 8.0 per cent
■ 6.2 per cent
Greater Melbourne
■ 5.1 per cent
■ 5.0 per cent
Victoria
■ 5.4 per cent
■ 5.0 per cent
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Small Area Labour Markets – December 2011
