The Australian Government has announced a new partnership with Australian supermarket chain Woolworths which it says will help thousands of unemployed Australians find work.

Under the ‘Fresh Start Agreement’, launched this week, Woolworths will have access to job, skills and training services offered by the government.

The government says that ‘one stop shops’ will be set up at a state level – so state Woolworths managers can liaise directly with federal departments about incentives, skills, training, and support services.

Under the initiative, Woolworths will also have access to the government’s indigenous employment programs, pre-apprenticeship programs.

In November 2011, Woolworths announced plans to create 10,000 new retail jobs during this financial year (2011-12).

Launching the initiative yesterday, Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the ‘Fresh Start Agreement’ will ensure that Woolworths is able to employ a diverse range of people in these 10,000 positions, and in any future positions.

Ms Gillard said, “We want to ensure all Australians who want a job can find one. By partnering with a major employer such as Woolworths, we are directly helping Australians to secure jobs.

“By having a clear understanding of the needs of Woolworths as a major employer, we will cut through the red tape and tailor our services to be more effective,” Prime Minister Gillard said. “We believe the best way to ensure workplace training meets the needs of employers is to work with them to deliver that training, and we want this agreement to be the first of many.”

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