More than 1000 priority job seekers have found new careers working on the North East Link tunnels, with the employment target being reached before the tunnel boring machines have completed the first kilometre of excavation.
North East Link will create 12,000 jobs throughout Melbourne’s north east, with the tunnels package targeting 1000 roles for people experiencing barriers to employment - which has been achieved well ahead of schedule.
Priority jobseekers are people experiencing barriers to employment, including long-term unemployed people, people from migrant, refugee and asylum seeker backgrounds, people with disability, and a range of other groups.
A range of initiatives are helping priority job seekers gain work on the project. Employment programs like the Migrant Women’s Work Experience Program have been instrumental in supporting 8 skilled migrant women find roles on the project, while Ironside Resources has been referring and supporting veterans into employment on the project.
North East Link also partners with referral organisations such as Himilo, a social enterprise based in Heidelberg West, AMES, and Jesuit Social Services to connect with local priority job seekers.
Across the North East Link tunnels, priority job seekers have been employed across a wide range of roles both on site and in the office including engineers, environmental specialists, and finance personnel.
Following job placement, North East Link is providing ongoing support and training to ensure everyone has the tools and people surrounding them to set up a successful career in construction.
Find out more about jobs on North East Link at https://bigbuild.vic.gov.au/jobs/explore-careers/working-on-north-east-link
And hear some of our priority jobseekers tell their stories below: