The Department of Innovation and Skills informed DOME on the 19th March 2020 that they will cease funding DOME beyond our current funding to May 2020. This means that DOME will close by July/August 2020 and we will no longer be able to provide our services for mature aged job seekers, recruitment for small businesses in Adelaide and regions and matching mature aged job seekers to jobs.
The Dept. of Innovation and Skills has offered to assist us explore other funding opportunities. This still remains problematic as most project funding does not allow for basic organisational administration costs and does not fund our core purpose and the basic supports needed for mature aged job seekers.
DOME currently has over 2000 active mature aged job seekers in our system looking for employment and has around 1800 active businesses who use our FREE recruitment service. The majority of these businesses are small businesses where our recruitment support enables them to focus more on delivering their products and services to their customers and clients.
Even without the current impacts of the Covid-19 virus, mature aged unemployment is a significant issue for South Australia and the nation and even more so now. If funding was continued we do have the capacity to play our part as our Premier Steven Marshall said at the CEDA conference on the 18th March 2020 in “buffering the inevitable economic consequences and employment consequences of the Corona Virus”.
With the current economic conditions it is astounding that the SA Government’s Dept. of Innovation and Skills has taken this move to cease funding DOME. Our organisation is already seeing an increase in job seeker registrations and with many businesses laying off workers because of the Covid-19 virus and businesses slowing down, predictions are for unemployment to increase to between 7 and 10%.
There are areas of opportunities, with some industries seeing an increased need for workers. South Australia will need services to match job seekers to new employment opportunities. This is exactly what DOME does.
The loss of this funding has serious implications for the organisation. Without this funding or similar it is likely we will have to close our doors. This will not only cease a unique service to
businesses assisting them recruit workers ;
employment support specific for older job seekers;
advocating against discrimination of older people and for workforce diversity; and
providing data and information to inform government and other policy influencers for services in this area
but also the opportunities we provide to our 40 or more volunteers a year that work with us to build their skills and build confidence to gain employment but also those that just want to help others out.
We are seeking your support to lobby the SA Government to continue to fund DOME. Other potential funding could also come from the Federal Government or from private companies. Please speak on our behalf and raise awareness of this issue.
Thanking you in anticipation of your support
Kind regards
Johanna Milbank Greg Goudie
Executive Director Chair
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