Fri, 1 Jun 2012

An Australian government welfare-to-work scheme known as the Wage Connect Subsidy has beaten its six-month placement target by 20% within the first five months of activity.

The scheme provides a subsidy of roughly AUS$5,700 (£3,600) to eligible businesses that employ people who have been receiving income support for two years and have had no or minimal work experience in that time. This is about a 10th of the annual wage a worker on minimum wage of AUS$15.51 (£9.80) an hour.

The aim had been to place 5,000 people into work between its 1 January launch and 30 June. So far, 6,000 people have found a job through the subsidy.

A total of 35,000 places under the scheme will be available over four years.