The funding will go towards improving employment connections for disadvantaged jobseekers and people living with disability.
Regional Development Minister Mary-Anne Thomas visited representatives of the organisation at Billabong Garden Complex on Thursday, April 14, to announce the funding.
“I’ve had the opportunity to meet people here in Shepparton who have had the opportunity to work here in meaningful roles in the nursery,” she said.
“People who are living with disability have that opportunity now through GROW and through work they do here to have that sense of accomplishment, and to be engaged in meaningful work.”
Established in 2014 in Geelong, GROW now has three other branches across regional Victoria.
The Shepparton program was launched in 2018 and helps local social enterprise organisations like ConnectGV find meaningful work for supported employees.
Connect GV supports about 30 people with disability in meaningful employment, and also facilitates education and training to help people secure jobs in the region.
At Billabong Garden Complex, Connect GV-supported employees propagate about 30 per cent of plants sold in the retail section.
“The funding will go towards building more social connections with businesses in Shepparton,” ConnectGV chief executive officer Carolynne Frost said.
The funding is part of $3 million dollars from the Victorian Government to support the GROW program across the state.
Ms Thomas said it was one of the ways the government was looking to fill worker shortages in the region.
“It’s really important we continue to think about ways to attract workers that we need,” she said.
“Projects like GROW demonstrates that there are people in our community who employers may not have thought of as suitable employees.”
Since 2015, the government has invested more than $30 billion in rural and regional Victoria.
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