Soaring unemployment in Broadmeadows will be tackled head-on, with the state government pledging $1 million to help more people find jobs.
Almost one in four adults in Broadmeadows is unemployed, with latest federal government employment figures revealing the unemployment rate was 24.4 per cent in December 2016 – the highest in the state.
In December 2012, the unemployment rate was 19.5 per cent.
In the surrounding suburbs of Meadow Heights and Campbellfield, the unemployment rate is at 22 per cent. Victoria’s overall unemployment rate is about 6 per cent.
In a bid to help more people into the workforce, the government will provide Hume council with $1 million over the next three years as part of the Hume Community Revitalisation Program.
The program aims to improve unemployment in Broadmeadows, Meadow Heights and Campbellfield by improving access to work experience, skills programs, financial support, career counselling, child care and learning opportunities.
Suburban Development Minister Lily D’Ambrosio, who visited Broadmeadows earlier this month to announce the funding, said the government wanted to address the gap between areas of high unemployment and the rest of the state.
Ms D’Ambrosio said the program would aim to link people with employment opportunities generated by Victoria’s major projects, such as the Level Crossing Removal project.
Hume mayor Drew Jessop said the funding would help the council achieve its goal of creating a well-educated and employed community.
He said the program would help to improve and enrich the lives of people living in Broadmeadows and surrounding areas.
“We are heartened by the Victorian government’s funding. [The program] aims to increase the number of people progressing into employment from the suburbs of Broadmeadows, Meadow Heights and Campbellfield, support business development and increase the number of residents with year 12 or higher qualifications,” Cr Jessop said.
“With a rapidly growing population, it is absolutely vital for us to come together to overcome the challenges facing Hume in an economy transitioning away from manufacturing.”
The government has also appointed a Broadmeadows Revitalisation Board to guide the suburb’s future redevelopment.
