According to a state government media release, 16 of 50 new positions have already been filled, supported by a $738,000 employment program,

This is part of the pandemic-initiated Jobs Victoria Fund, which aims to support more people to be job-ready, and to hold onto those jobs.

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Some of the new firefighters will be based at the Vickers Street FFMV depot in Sebastopol, joining Jamie Green, a forest fire operations officer now in his fourth season.

"I was stuck working in a manufacturing plant, not really feeling any fulfilment in my work life, and just by happenchance, I saw it pop up in the paper one day and thought this position catered for me," he said.

"This season in particular felt a bit surreal, with a big influx of new project firefighters, so nearly every day you're in a vehicle with a first year PFF showing them the ropes, when a season ago, that was you being shown the ropes.

"I was fortunate enough to be extended through the last winter season, and that was an eye-opener with how much storm work we had to do, cleaning up tracks and roads near Daylesford, and keeping up our regular winter work as well."

He said the jobs - which range between 34 weeks to 18 months - have provided several rare opportunities for Mr Green to "connect to (his) roots".

"Yesterday I received an email through our Indigenous group in the department, who asked if I wanted to attend some cultural burning - that's something I probably never would have had the chance to do if I wasn't part of the department, and now I can further my knowledge that way with cultural burning," he said.

"Never once have I felt like "the Indigenous guy on the crew", I just felt like one of the crew."

Diverse crews are more productive crews, according to FFMV's Midlands district manager David Watson.

"One of the benefits around engagement with Traditional Owners is forest health and healing Country, and that's something that we really value," he said.

"A lot of the planned burns and fuel management work we do is around asset protection, so it's around towns and townships, reducing the fuel hazard, whereas a lot of the work we do with Traditional Owners, healing Country, we're learning a lot about that, which is helping to manage our forests and state better."

State Employment Minister Jaala Pulford said more than 3000 people had received support through the Jobs Victoria program so far, which connects people seeking work with employers seeking more staff.

So far, the program has worked with businesses large and small, as well as government agencies and the community sector, with tailored supports for each situation and jobseeker.

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"Just this week, where we've got so many critical industries that are short-staffed, we are using this program to connect people to work opportunities," she said.

"This particular program (with FFMV) provides culturally safe and appropriate training, it's a wraparound service, everything you need to go from not being job ready, to being job ready, to ongoing employment."

More information for jobseekers, and employers seeking workers, is available online.

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