As a job seeker you can participate in work experience activities at any time - with the assistance of your Job Services Australia provider.
Your involvement in work experience activities can give you the opportunity to build on your existing job skills, learn new skills and improve your chances of finding a job. In particular, undertaking work experience activities can provide practical ways for you to connect with your community and to demonstrate your abilities to potential employers.
Drought Force activities can help you to gain skills and experience by providing assistance to individual farms and farming communities that are severely affected by drought.
Drought Force activities provide support for farming properties and encourages people to remain in their local community, retaining and building local skills and supporting the local economy.
Key benefits of participating in Drought Force activities
Drought Force activities:
- help reduce the impacts of drought on the land
- ease the burden of drought for farmers and their families
- make sure that farms and properties are maintained and able to cope once a drought breaks
- encourage people to remain in their local community, retaining and building local skills
- support the local economy to deal with the impact of drought
- support local community priorities.
A Drought Force placement might be with a team on a group activity with other job seekers, or an individual placement with a host farmer.
All participants in Drought Force activities will be offered structured training, where appropriate and available. This can include accredited and non-accredited training.
Job seekers are able to participate at times that best suit their other obligations, such as study, part-time or casual employment or parental responsibilities.
Location of Drought Force activities
Drought Force activities are undertaken in areas that are covered by Australian Government drought assistance measures and declared as Exceptional Circumstance areas.
To determine if an area has an Exceptional Circumstance declaration, or is eligible for other Australian Government drought assistance measures, visit the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
Who can participate in Drought Force activities
If you are a job seeker registered with a Job Services Australia provider, you can volunteer to participate in Drought Force activities at any time, if both you and your Job Services Australia provider agree it will benefit you.
If you are a job seeker who has a work experience activity requirement you can meet this requirement by participating in Drought Force activities.
If you are a job seeker required to complete an Intensive Activity, you can do this through participating in Drought Force activities. Your Job Services Australia provider can advise you if you need to complete an Intensive Activity.
Drought Force activities may only be undertaken by job seekers on a voluntary basis. If you do not wish to undertake a Drought Force activity you can be placed into another suitable work experience activity to fulfil your participation requirements, where relevant.
If you are a job seeker who receives income support and participates in Drought Force activities, you will be entitled to a supplement to assist with the costs of participation. Drought Force only participants are not eligible for this supplement.
Drought Force only
People aged over 21 years who are not eligible for income support may volunteer for Drought Force activities. You may approach a Job Services Australia provider directly for a Drought Force placement.
Drought Force 60+
If you are a job seeker who chooses to participate in Drought Force activities for 60 hours or more each fortnight, you will not be required to search for work, as you are considered to be making a significant contribution to local farms affected by drought. You will, however, still be required to meet on a regular basis with your Job Services Australia provider.
How to become involved
If you are a job seeker or volunteer interested in participating in Drought Force activities, you should discuss this with your Job Services Australia provider. You may also want to consider other work experience activities that may be available to you.
How to register for assistance
Find your local Job Services Australia provider
More information
For further information on Drought Force contact your local Job Services Australia provider. The Drought Force factsheet is also available from the Resources page.