FEDERAL Member for New England, Barnaby Joyce is reminding businesses in the New England Electorate that the Restart programme provides up to $10,000 (GST inclusive) to hire an eligible 50-plus job seeker and retain that person for two years.

Mr Joyce said under the programme, eligible employers can receive up to $10,000 when they employ a mature-age job seeker who has been unemployed and on income support for six months, including the age or disability support pension.

According to figures from the ABS the unemployment rate for New England Electorate is 7.5 per cent.

“Since its inception last year Restart has provided a valuable incentive to encourage and assist businesses taking on new mature-aged employees, who we know often face barriers when re-entering the workforce,” Mr Joyce said.

“As our population ages it is important to ensure that mature-aged workers are not left out of the workforce.”

Mr Joyce said the Government’s employment programmes were assisting more Australians to find a job and keep it.

Other employment programmes include:

Relocation Assistance to Take Up a Job — providing financial support to job seekers who move to take up work;
Job Commitment Bonus — rewarding young, previously long-term unemployed people who find and keep jobs;
Work for the Dole — this will go nationwide from 1 July 2015. It is currently being trialled in 18 selected regions; and
Employment Services 2015–2020 — this new $5.1 billion employment services system, starts on 1 July. The system is more efficient and effective, and will better meet the needs of job seekers, employers and providers.

For further information on Restart, please visit www.experiencepays.gov.au