Welcome to the Illawarra South Coast Local Jobs Hub

Home of the Local Jobs Program

The Illawarra South Coast Employment Region

The Illawarra South Coast Employment Region includes the local government areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla, Bega Valley, Wingecarribee

Find a Job

Link to jobs sites that show all current employment opportunities across the Illawarra South Coast.

View Jobs
View Training, Events and Programs

View upcoming training opportunities, industry tours, expos and employment programs.

View Training, Events and Programs

SUBMIT AND PROMOTE YOUR TRAINING OPPORTUNITY, EVENT OR PROGRAM

The Local Jobs Program

The Local Jobs Program is an Australian Government initiative that helps connect people with jobs and training in their local area. It brings together programs, employers, training providers, and community groups to identify local job needs and create opportunities for people to gain the right skills and find work.

Learn more

The Illawarra South Coast Job Coordinator

As part of the Local Jobs Program, the Illawarra South Coast has a Job Coordinator who oversees the bringing together of organisations and individuals into a streamlined, collaborative labour market network. The Job Coordinator for the Illawarra South Coast is Andrew Wales.

Andrew is assisted by Michelle Bobbin as Local Jobs Program Senior Program Officer.

Email the Job Coordinator

The Illawarra South Coast Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce

The Illawarra South Coast has a Local Jobs and Skills Taskforce, chaired by the Job Coordinator, comprising representatives from government, community groups and employers in the region. Taskforce members work collaboratively to develop local solutions to help people gain the right skills to get a job, and in assisting employer workforce needs.

The Taskforce meets bimonthly, with meetings open to Taskforce members, permanent observers, and invited guests only.

At Taskforce meetings, members receive a labour market overview from the Job Coordinator, as well as sector/cohort updates from Working Group Chairs. Members then carry out a deep dive analysis and discussion around priority labour market issues needing an LJP response or action.

Decisions and tasks from Taskforce meetings are generally delegated to Working Groups or external partners for action as needed.

The current membership of the Taskforce is:

Matt Clarke (Yilabara) – Representing Indigenous activities.
Corin Hodgson (APM) – representing Workforce Australia/employment service providers and the Shoalhaven.
Coralie McCarthy (Business Illawarra) – representing the business sector/employers and the Illawarra.
Bianca Perry (i3Net) – Representing the Manufacturing, Defence and Clean Energy sector and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven.
Nicky Sloan (Community Industry Group) – Representing the Care Sector and the Illawarra.
Rhonnie South (Eurobodalla Shire Council) – Representing the youth cohort and the Eurobodalla.
Leanne Smith (NSW DPIRD) – Representing Economic Development activities and the NSW Govt, and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven.
Selena Stevens (RDAIS) – representing RDAIS, employers and the Illawarra-Shoalhaven.
Andrew Wales (Chair) (Illawarra South Coast Local Jobs Program) - Representing the Local Jobs Program and the Work Transit Alliance.
John Watkin (Bega Valley Business Chamber) – Representing the Hospitality and Small Business sector, the Migrant cohort and the Bega Valley.

Contact the Job Coordinator to find out more about the Taskforce and their activities.

Taskforce Working Groups

The Taskforce is supported by six Working Groups that deep-dive issues and seek to solve the region’s labour market challenges through collaboration. The six Working Groups align with each of the priority labour market issues identified by the Taskforce and outlined in the current Local Jobs Plan:

Small Business, Hospitality & Tourism Working Group - focusing on the small business, hospitality, accommodation and tourism related industries.
Care Sector Working Group - focusing on the Aged Care, Disability and Children’s Services industries.
Transport Working Group - focusing on transport issues such as Gaining a Drivers Licence and access to public transport to support improved employment opportunities and advocacy with Transport for NSW.
Manufacturing, Net Zero & Defence Working Group - focusing on the Manufacturing, Defence, Net Zero, Circulatory and Energy industries.
Indigenous Working Group - focusing on training, pre-employment programs and employment opportunities and services to support First Nations communities across the Illawarra South Coast region.
Regional Economic and Infrastructure Development Working - focusing on the current economic and regional development projects and priorities for the Illawarra and South Coast region with representatives from Joint Councils, Wollongong, Kiama, Shoalhaven, Eurobodalla and Bega Valley Councils, Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven and Southern NSW and ACT, and NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

The Working Groups are comprised of representatives from all key government, community and employer groups. They meet online every two months to connect, share updates and to collaborate on new and existing initiatives.

Register your details with the Job Coordinator to receive invitations to Working Group meetings.

Contact the Job Coordinator to find out more about the Working Groups.

The Illawarra South Coast Local Jobs Plan

The Job Coordinator with support from the Taskforce and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations develops and maintains a Local Jobs Plan, which outlines employment priorities and actions.

It can be used by individuals, organisations and communities to understand the local labour market, and help inform local initiatives that assist their community.

Local Jobs Plans are updated regularly and published on the DEWR website.

View the Plan

Initiatives of the Illawarra South Coast Local Jobs Program

The Local Jobs Program develops, leads, supports and collaborates on dozens of initiatives, including but not limited to:

South Coast Centre of Excellence.
Careforce Project.
Continuous and ongoing Industry Tours – Manufacturing, defence, construction, care sector, hospitality, retail, agriculture, marine.
Continuous and ongoing pre-employment programs – Manufacturing, defence, construction, care sector, hospitality, retail, agriculture, marine.
Driver Licence Access Program across all LGAs.
Innovate for Impact STEM Expo.
Supporting Social Enterprise for Youth Employment Pathways.
L2P Driver Mentor Programs.
Improved bus route trials.
Indigenous specific culturally aware pre-employment and industry tours programs.
Improved Migrant Pathways into Jobs and Skills Projects.
Southern Cross Housing Tenant Support into Employment project.
BlueScope Indigenous initiative.
Jobs expos and hiring campaigns.
Youth pre-employment and training initiatives.
"Digital Ready" accredited digital literacy training program.
Inclusive Workskills and Use of Personal Technology training program.

The Local Jobs Program in action

The Illawarra South Coast Local Jobs Program and Green Connect.

Partners and Resources

Partners

The Local Jobs Program network comprises investments and buy-in from, and partnerships with dozens of organisations and hundreds of individual stakeholders across