We administer the Back to Work Scheme which provides financial assistance to businesses employing various categories of workers, including unemployed people living in the Latrobe Valley and workers retrenched from the Hazelwood Power Station when it closed in March 2017.
This year, 310 first instalment claims were approved, with 427 people employed by businesses, and 41 second instalment claims approved covering 53 employees.
In April 2018, the Victorian Government announced an increased funding cap for Latrobe Valley and Hazelwood Power Station workers, from $3 million to $6 million, and extended the closing date to 30 June 2020.
The Back to Work Scheme for the retrenched automotive worker and dairy worker categories closed on 30 June 2018. However, employers have nine months from the employment start date to submit their claim as long as the employee started work on or before 30 June 2018.
In 2017-18, we paid a total of $2,896,750 to employers hiring workers from all categories, including second instalment claims by businesses employing workers from categories that have now closed.
A total of $191,436 was also paid in reimbursement for accredited training provided by employers to their eligible employees.