IMPACT's employment service scores top rating during hard times

IMPACT Community Services’ Bundaberg site has just been awarded the highest possible rating (five stars) by the government.

The Australian Government’s Department of Employment, Skills, Family and Small Business has just released its latest quarterly jobactive star ratings for each provider and there was plenty of good news for IMPACT.

jobactive is the government’s employment service to help Australians into work and employers to find the right staff. There are several providers in the Bundaberg region.

Our Bundaberg service scored a five out of five star rating for jobactive performance.

IMPACT’s jobactive recruitment consultant David Maxey-Fisher said the result gave local jobseekers confidence in engaging with IMPACT.

“We've received four-star ratings in previous quarters,” David said.

“But this is the first time we got five stars.”

What made this rating more significant was that it came in the December to March quarter, during a period when the impact of the many devastating bushfires made compliance requirements non-mandatory.

“It means they were not required to engage with us, but they chose to do so,” David said.

“Normally during a trying time such as the bushfires our numbers would fall, but our performance indicators rose.”

To receive those five stars your performance at securing people sustained employment must be 30% above the national average – that means not just finding people jobs but finding them a lasting position with an employer.

That requires something that David and his team pride themselves on – building healthy and lasting relationships with both jobseekers and employers.

“Our team visits employers regularly, even when there are no candidates for positions or jobs available, just to maintain a good relationship,” David said,

“And our post-placement support team continues to visit them when we have been able to match jobseeker to employer and offer both all the support they need.”

David and his team appreciate the recognition, but he said they would just get on with the job of finding the right candidate for the right job at the right time.

“We kept up business as usual, even through a difficult time,” David said.

“Just like a successful football team; we noticed the scoreboard, but we're not driven by the score. We are just all committed to doing our jobs well.”

But the job's not done. Now there is a whole new stack of people looking for work in unprecedented times.

The COVID-19 environment provides new challenges.

IMPACT’s carefully tailored support includes:
• Help looking for suitable jobs;
• Practical job search tools and training;
• Referrals to jobs and employers in the local area;
• Work-ready skills and training including short courses and work placements;
• Assistance with work-related items;
• Post-placement support;
• Support to complete Work for the Dole or other eligible activities.

IMPACT's jobactive is a member of CoAct.

To find out more call 4153 4233 or 0419 773 838.