Northern Grampians Shire Council is looking to hire 26 new local employees after funding was secured under the Victorian Government's Working for Victoria fund.
The new jobs will give unemployed people in our shire a chance to get back on their feet whether they have lost their jobs due to the impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic or have been without work for some time.
Council was successful in securing $1.1 million in funding under the program which will allow for the council to keep the new employees in work for at least six months.
This grant project will focus on new jobs that are needed to provide critical services across the Northern Grampians region in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The new jobs will include maintenance and enhancement of community facilities, administrative assistance to implement new systems for building services, pet registrations and community databases, undertaking an inventory of council assets, strategic communications to assist information flow and positioning for tourism, accommodation and retail sectors to deal with the impacts of the current pandemic, and business analysis to assist our policy writers in gathering and analysing data and information for our tourism, accommodation and retail sectors.
These activities will ensure that the Northern Grampians Shire Council can respond immediately to local community needs during the pandemic and will build business and consumer confidence.
More than 2,750 Victorians have found positions through Working for Victoria since the program was launched in April, providing a quick return to work and access to training where required.
Northern Grampians Shire Council Mayor, Murray Emerson, said the funding will be a great benefit for the region.
"This funding will be a great thing for both council and the community," he said.
"With this grant money, we'll be able to help those in the community who have been hit hard by this pandemic and provide income and support to those who need it."
Northern Grampians Shire Council CEO, Liana Thompson, welcomed the funding announcement and said council would begin the recruitment process right away.
"Council is wholeheartedly committed to giving people the best chance to recover from the impacts of the Coronavirus Pandemic by getting those who have fallen on hard times back to work and earning an income."
"It will also allow council to maintain and improve the public facilities and increase service levels to the people of the Northern Grampians."
