The Federal Government’s Work for the Dole program could give rural councils around Australia the helping hand they need as well as aid unemployment. The program which came into effect in July has been rolled out in several rural areas of South Australia and currently involves around 4,700 people. Work for the Dole aims to give long-term unemployed people the skills, accreditation and experience to get back into the work force. It is also hoped that the program will boost the self-confidence of those who have been out of full-time employment.
Changes to welfare entitlements are a key part of the Federal Government’s $6.8 billion Job Active program. The Government has previously said that it wants to end the “age of entitlement”. These changes now mean that people aged 18-29 on income support will need to work at least 25 hours per week on an approved project for 6 months each year. Individuals aged 30-49 will need to work 15 hours and those aged over 50 can volunteer on the projects.
There were many critics to the changes which were first announced in the 2014 budget. However it would appear that cash-strapped rural councils are now, and will continue, seeing the benefits of programs such as Work for Dole. Mid Murray Council chief executive Russell Peate says that "It's a positive thing for projects councils can't get to, giving back to the community and for the participants to be more job ready".
Recently the Mid Murray Palmer Cemetery, in South Australia, had a group of Work for the Dole participants help to bring the property from disrepair by clearing overgrown weeds and repairing fences. “It gives the guys an incentive to get up in the morning, be prepared for what they need for the day and it gives them drive to prove themselves and to work for somebody” says Ben Wallacetown who is the Mid Murray Work for the Dole supervisor.
The Work for the Dole program will involve 55,000 people in Australia and could be a key method of driving down unemployment nationally. The Federal Government will provide grants to councils to run projects in office administration, IT, retail, hospitality, the environment and restoring historic buildings.
