The State Government has announced the Back to Work Scheme, which allows businesses to collect up to $16,000 for each disadvantaged job seeker they hire and train in Victoria.

This newly expanded program provides financial support to eligible businesses while at the same time improving local employment prospects for people looking for work.

If you hire a new eligible job seeker who falls into one of the categories below, you could be able to claim the following amounts:

• Long-term unemployed persons ($12,000)
• Retrenched workers ($5000)
• Retrenched automotive workers ($7000)
• Out-of-trade apprentices ($5000)
• People aged 15 to 25 who have been looking for work for three months or more ($5000)
• Apprentices or trainees ($5000)
• Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islanders ($5000)
• Current or recent youth justice clients ($5000)
• Current or recent criminal justice clients ($5000)
• Disability pensioners ($5000)
• Members of a drought-affected farm household ($5000)
• Refugees ($5000)
• Social housing tenants ($5000)
• Sole parent pensioners ($5000)
• Young people in or exiting out-of-home care ($5000)

An additional amount up to $4000 is available for accredited training.

The claims process is entirely online and takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. You can claim for one employee, or many. There’s no form to print out or send away; the only obligation is to keep your records for five years. All employers with a good workplace safety record are eligible, except municipal councils and public/government bodies, and those who have previously employed that employee in the past 12 months.

The jobs offered by eligible employers must be ongoing full-time or part-time, based in Victoria and below the salary limit.

Find more details about your eligibility and payments on the State Revenue Office website.