Minister for Employment Jaala Pulford today announced that Working for Victoria is creating more than 150 jobs for creative professionals whose work opportunities have been impacted by the pandemic.

The Creative Workers in Schools program has been developed to offer new learning experiences to students and teachers in 2021, while providing new employment opportunities to Victorians in the creative industries.

Creative professionals will work with teachers and students on curriculum-aligned creative projects that respond to schools learning priorities. Students from foundation through to Year 10 will learn new creative skills across a range of subjects.

The program builds on the success of the Labor Government’s long-running creative education programs which have seen artists and students work on projects including theatre shows inspired by history lessons, STEM-based digital games and songwriting and filmmaking projects supporting the English curriculum.

Creatives will be matched with schools based on their skills and goals and will receive on-the-job support and mentorship throughout their placement. Training will be delivered to prepare creative professionals for working in school settings and with diverse communities, boosting their employability beyond the program.

Training for the first group of creatives will begin in January with the first placements to start in term one. The program will run in two stages across terms one to three in government schools across the state.

The program is a partnership between Working for Victoria, the Department of Education and Training and Creative Victoria, and will be delivered by Regional Arts Victoria, a peak body for artists and arts organisations with a track record of delivering statewide creative programs for government.

Working for Victoria has also created more than 150 jobs for designers, music producers, light specialists, production designers and technicians as well as maintenance workers as part of the largest makeover of Melbourne’s laneways.

For more information visit rav.net.au/creative-workers-in-schools and to register for Working for Victoria go to vic.gov.au/workingforvictoria.