Chapter 17. Local Jobs Program

The Local Jobs Program supports tailored, local approaches to skilling individuals to meet local workforce needs. The program is a collaborative place-based initiative to ensure local labour markets work well for all Australians, in partnership with business and communities.

This Chapter outlines the requirements for TtW Providers regarding the Local Jobs Program.

The Local Jobs Program supports tailored approaches to reskilling, upskilling, training and employment in all 51 Employment Regions across Australia.

The program includes the following elements:

• a Job Coordinator (formerly Employment Facilitator) and a Support Officers/ Program Officer on the ground in each region. They bring together key stakeholders such as employers, employment services providers, education and training organisations to work collaboratively to address the priorities for the region, as identified in the Local Jobs Plan (see below).

• a Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce with representatives from the local region to identify key employment priorities and local workforce needs and then connect and collaborate with stakeholders to design and implement solutions.

• a Local Jobs Plan developed in consultation with the Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce, which outlines employment priorities and actions.

• a Local Initiatives Fund (LIF) that provides a flexible pool of funding for Job Coordinators to use towards identified activities that address community priorities.

• a Local Jobs, Local People grant that provides $10 million over 2025-26 and 2026-27 to fund activities to address local employment and training priorities, and support individuals and businesses to meet local workforce needs and strengthen local labour markets.

• the new Local Jobs, Local People grant replaces the Local Recovery Fund and National Priority Fund which ceased on 30 June 2025.

• Australian Government Job Coordinators deliver the Job Coordinator role in:

• Three micro regions in WA in Broome, Geraldton and Kalgoorlie (these positions share a Program Officer)

• The Mid North Coast of NSW (includes a Program Officer).

• Mackay of QLD (includes a Program Officer)

• Cairns of QLD (includes a Program Officer)

• North and North Western Tasmania (includes a Program Officer).

The benefits of the Local Jobs Program include, but are not limited to:

• building strong connections between local stakeholders, including Providers, employers and higher education and training organisations to solve local workforce needs

• developing tailored skills and employment initiatives that meet local labour market and employer needs and create opportunities for Participants with local employers that result in employment outcomes

• providing a mechanism to transition people into new roles by reskilling and upskilling in the skills needed in the Employment Region

• providing an opportunity for Providers to improve their local connections and creating pathways to employment for Participants on their Caseload

• building strong connections between local stakeholders, including Providers, employers and higher education and training organisations

• enhancing collaboration and coordination between the Australian Government, state, territory and local governments and community-initiated skills and employment initiatives

• enabling local responsiveness to retrenchments and structural adjustment events that impact jobs as a part of the Transition Support Network, by working with key stakeholders to respond to company closures and workforce disruptions

• raising awareness of current and upcoming local employment and training opportunities.

The overall goal is to support significant improvements in labour market outcomes for each Employment Region by addressing the issues unique to each region.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 118)

Activities include:

• Local Jobs Program Activities

• Local Jobs Program Activities are for the Local Jobs, Local People grant, delivered by a Local Jobs Program Activity Host, funded through a grant agreement.

• Only the Department can use the Local Jobs Program Activity type (Activity type code: LCJB) when creating these activities in the Department's IT Systems.

• Other Activities

• Other activities that do not receive funding through the Local Jobs, Local People grant but which may be funded and/or delivered by Job Coordinators under the Local Jobs Program.

• Activities that leverage existing programs and services, including state and territory government programs, coordinated through the Local Jobs Program.

• When leveraging existing activities, programs and services, Providers must ensure these programs and services adhere to their relevant requirements as described in these Guidelines.

• If these activities are to be recorded in the Department's IT System, Providers should use the most relevant Activity type in the Department's IT Systems.

All Participants registered with a Workforce Australia Employment Services Provider, Broome Employment Services Provider, Yarrabah Employment Services Provider, Transition to Work Provider and Parent Pathways Provider are eligible to participate in Local Jobs Program Activities.

Any of these Providers may refer a Participant to the Local Jobs Program Activity.

Local Jobs Program Activities can also be open to any individual.

Participation in Local Jobs Program Activities is voluntary.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 118)

Local Jobs Program Activities funded by the Local Jobs, Local People grant will be delivered by a Local Jobs Program Activity Host. The Local Jobs Program Activity Host will be responsible for delivering the Local Jobs Program Activity in accordance with their Local Jobs, Local People grant agreement, including providing Supervision, ensuring that a safe system of work is in place, and reporting attendance and any incidents (where relevant) to any relevant Providers or the Department.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 118)

The Local Jobs Program offers Providers the opportunity to improve their local connections and create pathways to training and employment for Participants on their caseload. Key responsibilities and actions undertaken by Providers in relation to Local Jobs Program Activities, which must be done in accordance with the Deed and these Guidelines include:

• collaborating and engaging with Job Coordinators and Support Officers, and key stakeholders in the region such as employers, and Local Jobs Program Activity Hosts

• referring and commencing Participants in Local Jobs Program Activities and supporting broader Local Jobs Program activities, as required

• identifying potentially eligible and suitable participants on their caseload to participate in Local Jobs Program Activities

• referring and commencing Participants on their caseload in the Local Jobs Program Activity

• ensuring referrals and commencements are correctly recorded in the Department’s IT Systems, where relevant

• undertaking and updating Participant Risk Assessments, as required and advising the Local Jobs Program Activity Host

• recording participation in the Activity for participants on their caseload

• working with the Local Jobs Program Activity Host to:

• advise them when they are referring a Participant to the Local Jobs Program Activity

• manage the replacement of Participants to maximise utilisation.

• following up non-attendance of Participants on their caseload

• reporting incidents to the Department

Job Coordinators, as part of their contractual obligations, will provide regular feedback to the Department regarding Providers' collaboration and participation in Local Jobs Program Activities and the broader Local Jobs Program.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 118)

The Department will set up Local Jobs Program Activities funded by the Local Jobs, Local People grant in the Department's IT system. The Department and/or Job Coordinators and Support Officers will provide relevant Activity IDs to Providers.

Providers must, in accordance with work health and safety requirements, refer eligible and potentially suitable Participants for Local Jobs Program Activities.

It is a priority to ensure that available places in a Local Jobs Program Activity are fully utilised. Job Coordinators and Support Officers may liaise with Providers to maximise participation in Local Jobs Program Activities.

Providers should work with Job Coordinators to refer Participants to Local Jobs Program Activities not funded by the Local Jobs, Local People Grant.

(Deed Reference(s): Clause 118)

• Work health and safety — For the purposes of Work Health and Safety, Providers must also refer to, and comply with, the requirements specified in the Deed and Activity Management Chapter.

Should an incident occur on a Local Jobs Program Activity, the Local Jobs Program Activity Host is responsible for managing the incident, in collaboration with the Supervisor of the Local Jobs Program Activity. The Local Jobs Program Activity Host is responsible for advising the Department of any incidents which involve Participants.

It is the Local Jobs Program Activity Hosts responsibility to ensure that the Participant’s relevant Provider is notified.

For further information in relation to the process for reporting incidents and completing incident forms refer to the WHS Incidents and Insurance Readers Guides and the Activity Management Chapter.

• Documentary evidence — Providers must retain Records of any action taken with regard to any Incidents that occur during a Local Jobs Program Activity in accordance with the WHS Incidents and Insurance Readers Guide.

(Deed Reference(s): Clauses 70.6, 118)

If the Department has advised that the Local Jobs Program Activity is a Specified Activity. Providers must:

• confirm that the Local Jobs Program Activity Host has undertaken an Activity Risk Assessment on the Specified Activity

• undertake and update Participant Risk Assessments for participants on their caseload that are referred to Local Jobs Program Activities.

Further information on Risk Assessment Requirements is available in the Conducting Risk Assessments for Specified Activities section of the Activity Management Chapter.

• Documentary evidence — Providers have the discretion to determine how they document Risk Assessments, but must retain Records of each Risk Assessment undertaken.

Successful participation in and/or completion of a Local Jobs Program Activity may result in a Job Placement or similar options, which may then track towards an Employment Outcome. Providers must refer to and comply with the requirements specified in the Vacancies and Outcomes Chapter and the Deed.