April 06, 2014
Stephen Drill
News Limited
JOBSEEKERS are angry that job agencies are advertising for staff without having positions to fill, as the fight for work in Victoria intensifies.
And the ACTU and charity group Vinnies have raised concerns about unemployed people getting pushed into training that does not lead to genuine jobs.
Victoria is now the hardest places to get a job in Australia, with almost nine unemployed people for every vacancy.
That comes after cuts at Boeing last week and the planned closure of manufacturing at Holden, Toyota and Ford.
Gary Williams, of Noble Park, said the job agencies kept advertising for non-existent jobs.
Mr Williams, 63, is struggling to make ends meet with inconsistent casual work.
He said that when he was interviewed by some job agencies he was offered training instead of a job.
“They advertise work but they haven’t got it,” he said.
“It’s a scam. I told them training’s no good for me, I want some work.”
Vinnies spokesman Gavin Dufty said the charity was receiving more calls from people who had just lost their jobs, or had hours cut, particularly in the outer suburbs of Melbourne.
The older you are, the harder it is to get back into the workforce and if you’re young and you haven’t got a track record it’s hard to get in,” he said.
Australian Council of Trade Unions secretary Dave Oliver said he was concerned about the quality of training offered by some providers.
“There are bottom feeders who try to take advantage of people who are unemployed,” he said.
“They offer training but the bulk of it doesn’t lead to genuine employment.”
State Opposition employment spokesman Tim Pallas said that the State Government needed to fast-track major projects to kick start the economy.
“They not only create an economic benefit from the infrastructure but they provide a short-term boost to economic activity,” he said.
He said that the Napthine Government had failed to create enough full-time jobs to replace those that were being lost in the manufacturing sector.
But Treasurer Michael O’Brien said that there were 18,900 extra full time jobs in Victoria and 64,200 additional jobs since the Coalition came to office.
“While Labor spent under $900 million on vocational education and training — much of this on ‘lifestyle’ courses — the Coalition is investing over $1.2 billion on more job-ready training for Victorians,” he said.
I am 50 years old and unemployed in my point of view I think the problem with mass unemployment is the interne. Most or all employers rely on the Internet to scoop up jobseekers.Ive never had to do Applications and resumes to gain work until now and im certainly not good on this technology I was a Blaster / Painter ever since I left school and have nothing to prove my experience other than whats in my head employers are not seeing what im experienced at because I have no certificate in it on paper .Im finding it exstreamly hard to gain employment even with hundreds of applications sent out I have now only my cloths and living at my sisters house .I still want to do my scope of work as I love it but I think employers are being picky as the newer younger generation have the proof of the trade on paper but not really work wise experienced as I am trust me ive worked with a lot of say 30 year olds and they never had a clue what a number of types of equipment even was.So in my belief they iether cheated the resume or had certificate to prove thier skills but never done the type of work .Or employers are being greedy and just get who they can to fill the required gap so they can get richer.I feel that its unfair on us really qualified oldies with no paper to show.