Scores of Victorians each week are finding permanent work with the help of a Victorian Government program that pays part of the worker’s wage – providing a major boost to small businesses gearing up as the economy re-opens.

More than 800 businesses across Victoria have successfully applied for a wage subsidy of up to $20,000 for some 1,300 new workers – including hairdressers, warehouse staff, bookkeepers, solar technicians and butchers like Christopher Cook from Beaufort Butchery.

Mr Cook was laid off from previous casual work due to the impacts of the pandemic and had been unemployed for eight months before Beaufort Butchery owner Rohan Quinton accessed the $250 million Jobs Victoria Fund subsidy program and put the call out for a new butcher to join his team.

The experienced worker has fitted in well and Mr Cook now has job security and a full-time income. With the benefit of an extra pair of hands, the butchery has been able to expand its offerings and the $20,000 wage subsidy is taking pressure off the business’s finances.

The Jobs Victoria Fund is providing opportunities for priority jobseekers including people over 45 – especially women, who have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic such as young people, migrants from a non-English speaking background and people with a disability.

The wage subsidies are part of a landmark $619 million investment in Jobs Victoria that is helping to connect people looking for work with employers seeking staff.

Jobs Victoria services include free advice and support for jobseekers from a 600-strong network of jobs advocates, mentors and counsellors.

More information about the Jobs Victoria Fund $20,000 wage subsidies and how businesses can apply is available at jobs.vic.gov.au or by calling the Jobs Victoria hotline on 1300 208 575.