The Andrews Labor Government’s Back to Work Scheme has been a resounding success with the June quarter returning more than 10,000 claims for the hiring and training of eligible employees.

The $100 million scheme – which is now fully subscribed – will close on 18 July 2016, with almost 16,000 payments made to employers taking on disadvantaged jobs seekers since it was introduced in April 2015.

Since the Labor Government came to office in 2014, Victorian employment has increased by 120,000 people, with full-time employment up by 85,200 people during the same period.

The Back to Work Scheme was expanded last year to provide additional support to employers who hired disadvantaged job seekers.

It has since gathered extraordinary momentum, with accelerated hiring and training of apprentices, young unemployed, retrenched workers and the long-term unemployed.

$15 million will be set aside for dairy workers and automotive workers, who have been affected by the recent downturns in these industries. These workers will continue to benefit from the scheme.

The scheme has also contributed $6 million to the establishment of four pilot interventions in areas of socio-economic disadvantage and workers in transition in Victoria, as well as $15 million to support disadvantaged workers through Jobs Victoria.

Victoria’s youth unemployment rate (12 month average) also continues to fall, and is now 2.0 per cent lower than 12 months ago.

Victoria has seen unemployment fall to 5.8 per cent which is significantly lower than the 6.6 per cent inherited from the Coalition Government.