Job Club in Melbourne
An exciting new Job Club at Jewish Care provides a place for job seekers and the unemployed to come together, support each other, access technology and find a job.
Jewish Care’s Employment and Education Centre (EEC) (previously Always Moving Forward – AMF) has received a generous contribution from Trawalla Foundation to launch and realise the project.
Eran Sofer (left) and Susan Attrill (right), from Jewish Care’s Employment and Education Centre, with job candidates Natali Miloslavsky and Moriya Hanuka
“The Trawalla Foundation is proud to be providing almost $90,000 of funding over three years to this cause, as the work that Jewish Care performs in creating employment opportunities is a vital contribution to the wellbeing of the Jewish community. Importantly, however, we know that Jewish Care can’t be responsible for community wellbeing alone. Key to this program are the volunteer professionals who will work alongside staff, using their skills, experience and networks to support and mentor individuals into meaningful employment”, says Cathy Truong, Executive Director of Trawalla Foundation.
“The Jewish Care Job Club offers a space for job seekers to improve their job prospects, receive one-on-one help from trained volunteers and qualified consultants, and increase their confidence and emotional wellbeing while seeking work,” said Bill Appleby, CEO, Jewish Care.
Research in the United States has shown job clubs to be so successful that attendance is considered a legitimate job search activity to receive government unemployment benefits. Richard Nelson Bolles, a strong proponent of job-seeking support groups and author of What Color is Your Parachute? notes an 84 percent success rate when job-search techniques are conducted in groups, compared with a 15 percent lower rate when the same techniques are followed individually.
“This is a great outcome, helping Jewish jobseekers while engaging volunteers in a very significant and meaningful way. It is wonderful to have Trawalla Foundation partnering with us to build this kind of empowerment in our community,” said Bill Appleby.
The Job Club is based at Jewish Care, Level 3, Kraus Building, 619 St Kilda Road, and is open from 10am- 4pm, Mondays to Thursdays.
Our Employment and Education Centre will be running free job-seeking and employment-related talks and workshops on an ongoing basis.
