Youth unemployment in Melbourne’s north continues to spiral as new jobs figures expose a stagnant Victorian market and an economy “in transition”.
While unemployment dropped across the country last month, state Labor spokesman Tim Pallas said Victoria’s jobless rate was at a 10-year high.
Bureau of Statistics figures show youth unemployment hit 15.4 per cent in Melbourne’s north-west and 13.3 per cent in the north-east, while the state average was 12.4 per cent.
Blaming “savage” funding cuts to the TAFE sector that had slashed expenditure on teaching and course selection, Mr Pallas criticised Premier Denis Napthine for “not having a plan” to bring the state’s economy out of its doldrums.
“Victoria used to be number one. Now we’ve fallen behind,” Mr Pallas said.
Meanwhile, a third Ford transition industry fund project for Melbourne’s north was announced by Manufacturing Minister David Hodgett last week.
Financed through the Melbourne North Industry Innovation Fund (MNIIF), the latest grant of $700,000 was awarded to Alepat Taylor, one of Melbourne’s leading wine, spirit and sparkling drinks suppliers.
The grant will provide 14 new jobs and support a $2 million installation of a new bottling line to increase production capacity.
The previous week, a grant of $34,500 was given to Coburg company Giorgio Dental to buy and install a new dental scanner and a CAD-CAM machine, which will improve the quality and efficiency of its prosthesis products.
Mr Hodgett said MNIIF and the Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund (GRIIF) were keystones of a tripartite agreement between the federal and state governments and Ford Australia. They aimed to seed new skilled jobs to replace those being lost by the collapse of Australian car manufacturing.
MNIIF and GRIIF both have $24.5 million to boost economic activity in areas affected by the closure of Ford plants in Campbellfield and Geelong by the end of 2016.
Ford will hold an all-day Jobs Fair at Campbellfield on April 29 with businesses that are currently recruiting or have future job opportunities.
