The online job market has been a hot topic in Australia, but a new survey suggests it’s not just young Australians who are flocking to online jobs.
The national online job marketplace, LocalVolunteer, has reported a surge in the number of people who are looking for volunteer opportunities.
In a survey conducted by LocalVoluiters Australia, 25 per cent of its membership had signed up for an online job, up from 8 per cent in January.
The survey was conducted in March and May.
The report also found that while the job market was growing for young people, it was slowing down for people over 65.
“The job market is growing but the age cohort is slowing down,” said CEO Peter Grosby.
“This is a result of a number of factors, including the ageing of the population, the decline in the employment of young people and a number the government has announced.”
In the last five years, the job growth has been primarily in jobs that involve helping other Australians with their local problem or problem-solving, such as emergency services.
The local volunteer program has attracted an estimated 20,000 Australians in the last year, Grosbys office said.
In 2018, the Government said it was introducing a new scheme to help people get a local volunteer job.
This scheme would include training for jobseekers, helping them apply for jobs, getting a job in the local community and even providing financial assistance to those who cannot work.
The program is due to be rolled out to every state and territory in 2019.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were the most likely age group to be jobseekers in the LocalVoluer network, with 44 per cent applying to volunteer at least once in the previous 12 months, and 31 per cent saying they had done so in the past 12 months.
The Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that the jobless rate for Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander people is almost twice the national rate.
Grosby said the new scheme was a “good thing”, but added that he would like to see more opportunities offered for people to work for a local community organisation, such like the Aboriginal and Torres Sese Ses Association, or the Victorian Aboriginal Community Service (VASC).
“The VASC is a very good organisation, but we need more support,” he said.
“We need more of that support.”
