SUPPORTING BONNER WOMEN INTO WORK

Women across Bonner are set for a boost with a $75 million commitment from the Morrison Government for new mid-career checks to help them pick up the work they want or to work more.

Member for Bonner, Ross Vasta said many Australians in their thirties and forties were part of the ‘sandwich generation’ that had taken time out of their careers to start families, care for children and were often worrying about their ageing parents.

“We respect the choices families make when taking on caring responsibilities. For those who wish to return to work after a period of caring for others, we want to support their choice because boosting women’s workforce participation is good for them, their families and the economy,” Mr Vasta said.

The Mid-Career Checkpoint initiative will be targeted at up to 40,000 Australians, primarily women, aged 30 to 45 who have taken two or more years of leave to care for family members.

“Our new Mid-Career Checkpoint program is about backing the women and men who have taken family time and want to work or work more.

“Many women in particular take a career break to start a family or care for older family members and are looking for that bit of extra help to get them back into the workforce.

“The skills and experience gained in unpaid family roles is often not properly acknowledged, and women in these caring roles can sometimes lose confidence, as others have gone ahead at work and technology has changed roles,” Mr Vasta said.

The new initiative would start with a ‘checkpoint session’ to help people step back in to or step up their careers:

• Stepping back in: women returning to the workforce will be able to have an initial discussion with a professional who can help assess their needs and steer them in the right direction (for example, they might need assistance with interview skills, polishing up computer skills, professional development or advice on where and how to undertake specific longer-term skills training)
• Stepping up: eligible women who have returned to the workforce for up to 18 months and are now at a point where they are ready to step up their career, but need a little extra advice to do so.

“Nothing gives someone more confidence, choices, independence and economic security than a job they love and thrive in.

“We’ve already overseen 1.3 million new jobs but backing women who have left their careers to take up the job of looking after their family, and who want to return to work, is key to achieving our ambitious target of creating an extra 1.25 million new jobs over the next five years,” Mr Vasta said.