Innovative community responses in overcoming barriers to unemployment

This report, prepared for the Department of Victorian Communities, comprises four case studies on local innovative approaches to employment support in disadvantaged communities.

The Department for Victorian Communities is leading a state government initiative to improve workforce participation in Victoria.

As part of this work, DVC commissioned the Brotherhood of St. Laurence to document four case studies of innovative community responses to overcoming barriers to employment. The following examples were chosen:

1. Neighbourhood Renewal in Fitzroy and Collingwood

2. The Adult Multicultural Education Service (AMES)/Brotherhood of St Laurence (BSL) cleaning enterprise

3. YP4 – The young homeless jobseekers trial

4. Westgate Community Initiatives Group (WCIG) Disability Employment Programs

These projects demonstrate interesting and innovative strategies which appear to help overcome barriers for disadvantaged jobseekers in a way which other programs do not. As such they provide useful directions for future policy development and research.