The Hon. Peter Garrett MP
Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts
Senator the Hon. Mark Arbib
Minister for Employment Participation
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Government Service Delivery
Energy Efficient Home Agreement to create job opportunities
Media Release
2 July 2009
PG/300
Minister for the Environment, Peter Garrett, and Minister for Employment Participation, Senator Mark Arbib, today announced the signing of Memoranda of Understanding, under which the Rudd Government, industry and job service providers will work closely together to ensure job seekers are connected to job opportunities under the Energy Efficient Homes Package.
The parties to the Memoranda are the Australian Government, the National Employment Services Association, Master Builders Australia, the Housing Industry Association and the Construction Forestry Mining Energy Union.
The agreement will identify labour needs, encourage building and construction businesses and Job Services Australia providers to work together to meet these needs, and connect job seekers with relevant training and employment opportunities.
The Memoranda will help bring about:
- Better training and jobs for Australian job seekers, including disadvantaged and Indigenous Australian job seekers, both directly in insulation installation jobs under the Energy Efficiency Homes Package and as an introduction to broader job opportunities in the building and construction industry;
- Greater numbers of skilled workers for insulation installation and also for future initiatives and opportunities in the building and construction sector more generally.
Mr Garrett and Senator Arbib welcomed the signing of the Memoranda as clear evidence of the parties’ commitment to supporting jobs.
"So often opportunities to connect people to employment are missed not through lack of will but through lack of communication between the different sectors.
"This agreement is aimed at maximising the thousands of job opportunities for job seekers across Australia that arise out of the Energy Efficiency Homes Package – and ensuring they actually find their way to people looking for work.
"The concept behind this is to ensure that when a job seeker contacts their Job Services Australia provider for work, they can be directly referred to training and to local insulation employers to connect with a job under this package."
The insulation components of the Energy Efficient Homes Package are:
- Homeowner Insulation Program - installing ceiling insulation, capped at $1,600, to eligible home owner-occupiers with very little or no existing ceiling insulation;
- Low Emission Assistance Plan for Renters - providing assistance to landlords and tenants, with up to $1,000 to install insulation in private rental properties.
"The Energy Efficient Homes Package is the most ambitious energy efficiency program every undertaken, investing some $4 billion in household insulation and solar hot water, helping Australians save on their energy bills and reduce their impact on the environment at the same time," Mr Garrett said.
The Energy Efficient Homes Package is a key part of the Rudd Government’s $42 billion Nation Building and Jobs Plan, which is specifically designed to support jobs now while building the infrastructure Australia needs for a stronger future.
Further information on Job Services Australia: www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/JSA/Pages/default.aspx
Further information on Energy Efficient Homes: www.environment.gov.au/energyefficiency/ or contact Energy Efficient Homes on: 1800 808 571
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