MORE than 125 jobs seekers from the Mid North Coast region of NSW will be supported into employment opportunities across agriculture, tourism and hospitality thanks to a $200,000 project under the Australian Government’s Local Recovery Fund.

YEP Careers will deliver the Your Empowered Pathway Starts Here program, which involves a series of career information and industry immersion expos aimed at helping displaced workers, disengaged youth and Indigenous Australians into jobs in the region’s biggest growth sectors.

Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, the Hon Stuart Robert MP, said Local Recovery Fund projects are an important part of the Australian Government’s ongoing economic response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Local Recovery Fund is driving projects just like this one on the Mid North Coast, which support Australian communities by helping people find work and meeting the needs of local employers,” Minister Robert said.

“New South Wales regional communities have been hit hard with recent lockdowns but we’re now opening up and it’s initiatives such as these that will get job seekers back into employment, connect businesses with the staff they desperately need and help communities recover stronger than ever.

“The Local Recovery Fund is an important part of the Australian Government’s $276 million Local Jobs Program and our broader Economic Recovery Plan.”

Pat Conaghan, Federal Member for Cowper, said a key focus of the activity will be to provide disadvantaged youth with access to industry mentors and online training to support them into a meaningful career.

“Participants will be able to conduct industry site visits to enable them to connect in person with potential employers, which is such a critical part of securing a long-term job,” Mr Conaghan said.

The program will deliver seven career expos with about 100 attendees expected at each session, as well as industry representatives from agriculture, tourism and hospitality.

“These sectors will be crying out for skilled staff as we come out of lockdown and return to life as we knew it and so participants in this project, and those who will employ them, are poised to reap the benefits that come with this demand,” Mr Conaghan said.

“This is a tailored project, co-designed by those who know the local community and its employment landscape well.

“Most importantly, the project aims to open up a dialogue between industry representatives and participants, where they will be able to share their ideas about issues facing these sectors and develop their own ideas on how to address these issues.”

The Australian Government expanded and extended the Local Jobs Program in the 2021-22 Federal Budget to cover all 51 Employment Regions across Australia.

The Local Recovery Fund supports regions by funding tailored projects to help align job seekers with employment opportunities in their community.

More details about the Local Jobs Program can be found at www.dese.gov.au/local-jobs-program.