The 2015 Budget is about helping Australians have a go – Joe Hockey Treasurer
The Government’s $5.5 billion Jobs and Small Business Package will help small businesses invest, hire and grow and for the unemployed to move into long term work, particularly young people and older workers.
In a snap shot, the 2015 Budget provides over $330 million in targeted spending on new jobs initiatives aimed at employers and young jobseekers to support the transition to work. Subsidies for employers will also help mature age jobseekers back into work.Small companies will receive a 1.5 per cent tax cut and 5 per cent tax discount on income from unincorporated small business activity.
There will be a $1.2 billion national wage subsidy pool. Employers will be able to access wage subsidies from the time the person starts the job.
BUSY At Work CEO Paul Miles said the budget stimulus for small to medium enterprises (SME) was great news for jobseekers and employers.
“The Jobs and Small Business Package has measures to help employers take on unemployed jobseekers, encourage jobseekers to look for work and help young disengaged youth become job ready.”
“Employers who offer jobseekers an ongoing job will be eligible for the tax incentives and wage subsidies to cover upfront costs of hiring and training staff.”
“A new wage subsidy will be introduced for employers to take on parents who want to return to the workforce and under the new changes to the Restart program, employers can access the wage subsidy for employing over 50’s sooner,” Mr Miles said.
Restart eligibility is available to employers hiring over 50’s who have been unemployed for six months. There is now a great flexibility for employers to negotiate a schedule for Restart programs of up to $10,000 over a 12 month period.
Mr Miles said the Youth Employment Strategy and the Youth Transition to Work program was fundamental to what BUSY already does.
“We need to make it easier for young people to enter the workforce otherwise we risk losing too many to long term unemployment.
“Our Job Services and BUSY Beat hubs deal with these people daily and we are working with the government, employers and community to provide the support they need to find and maintain employment or take up an apprenticeship or traineeship,” said Mr Miles.
BUSY At Work have developed career resources which are being introduced to schools and jobactive organisations to assist youth and long term unemployed. These include Apprenticeship Central, a free job matching website, the Harrison Career Assessment tool and CareerMe app.
More information on the Jobs and Small Business Package
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MEDIA CONTACT: Leanne Macnamara, Public Relations Coordinator 0438 173 960 leanne.macnamara@busyatwork.com.au
