A new approach to disadvantage

Jobless families are an important priority group because of the long-term impact of unemployment on the children in those families. Children in jobless families are more likely to get caught in a cycle of intergenerational disadvantage and welfare dependency than children in working families.

Many jobless families face multiple vocational and non-vocational barriers to employment and the government recognises that these barriers need to be addressed in an integrated manner and be specific to the location. This requires new and innovative service delivery approaches.

• The Family-centred Employment Project will commence in 2010. It is designed to assist jobless families to move into education and employment. The demonstration project will be implemented in three specific sites - Broadmeadows (Vic), Goodna (Qld) and Mansfield Park (SA). The objective of the project is to test integrated family-centred service delivery models for participating families.

Other employment initiatives

• Job Services Australia is a new, simpler and more effective national employment service that came into effect in July 2009. It provides more tailored support for the most disadvantaged job seekers.
• The Innovation Fund is part of the government’s new employment services (Job Services Australia) commencing on 1 July 2009 and ending on 30 June 2012.The Innovation Fund is designed to address the needs of the most disadvantaged job seekers through funding projects that will foster innovative solutions to overcome barriers to employment which these job seekers face. The Australian Government has provided $41 million over three years for Innovation Fund projects – approximately $13.7 million in each of 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12.
• Helping the children. The government also recognises the importance of early childhood education to help the children of jobless families out of the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage. The Office of Early Childhood Education and Child Care (OECECC) runs a number of programs aimed at supporting families, early childhood education and the child care sector.
• Programs and initiatives described under Helping children at greatest disadvantage are also relevant to this social inclusion priority.