Ballarat's casual workforce is at risk of being left without an income, as the coronavirus pandemic shuts down industries and compromises businesses.
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One Ballarat business woman has teamed up with a casual worker from Sovereign Hill to expand her online employment platform, in an effort to create new opportunities for work.
Belinda Eden is the founder of Troop Employment, a recruitment agency previously targeted specifically at the hospitality industry.
In response to COVID-19, Ms Eden has expanded her online employment platform for all businesses, individuals and job-seekers to list and connect on the platform free of charge.
The world is not shutting down, we just have to adapt the way we used to work for at least the next six months.
- Belinda Eden, Troop Employment
Travel agent Lee Haase and Sovereign Hill casual workers Marie Economou, Timothy Corrigan and Lisa Laine have already listed their job-seeker profiles on the site.
"I have applied for over 20 jobs in the past few days and almost half of them have responded by saying their future is also uncertain or the job itself is now no longer available," Ms Laine said.
"We need businesses to get on board this platform and individuals who are privileged enough to not be affected so much by coronavirus who may be able to provide opportunities for work.
"We need people who need their garden done, their house painted, their children minded, their shopping done - they can hop on and say I have $50 for you to do this job for me.
"For me, $50 in a week could mean feeding the children or not feeding the children. This is how grave the situation is for me with five kids."
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As a travel agent and owner operator of The Travel Collective, Ms Haase said she was at 'breaking point'.
"We are working for free, all hours of the day, trying to change people's bookings, organise refunds for them where possible and anything we can do to help our clients out," she said.
"Every avenue we book through has different rules, there is not just one rule for everyone. We are all at breaking point.
"There is no government support for us currently."
Ms Haase said she has listed a job-seeker profile on Troop Employment in an effort to gain some income during the coronavirus pandemic and be able to reopen her business when travel resumes.
"I will just have to get through this as best I can, do whatever I can in the meantime and once the world is open again, I will still be open for business," she said.
"I have had my own business for five years, I don't have references. I am open to any work."
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Sovereign Hill casual Timothy Corrigan said since being told on Monday Sovereign Hill casuals would not be offered work for the forseeable future, he had 'desperately' been trying to register with Newstart.
"My partner is in a similar boat, she is probably going to lose her job in the next few weeks, so it is completely up in the air. We don't know what to do," he said.
"There is not much we really can do, but this is where this platform comes in so well. Now we have a lead, there is a thread for us to pull and have something to try to get in even a little bit of income every week."
Fellow Sovereign Hill casual Marie Economou said she was studying in Melbourne and had planned to move there this week.
"I have had to put my plans on hold now, I can't afford to move there. It is really tough," she said.
Ms Eden said she was in a similar position and no longer able to make an income through her business, with events and staff cancelled and the hospitality industry in a dire state.
But she knew Troop Employment could help others.
"My platform is already built and is already active. All I had to do was make some minor modifications," she said.
Ms Eden and Ms Laine are calling on businesses who need extra staff and individuals who might need workers for jobs to list on Troop Employment.
"We know there are people out there with money to burn because of the hoarding situation. They are the people I am personally appealing to, to consider ways you might be able to give someone work," Ms Laine said.
"We are all skilled in different areas. Everyone has something to give," Ms Eden said.
"The world is not shutting down, we just have to adapt the way we used to work for at least the next six months.
"People need to have hope. People need to know they are not forgotten and each and every person is seen as a person. We are all in this together."
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