WA gov pushes $10m for digital sector roles

The Western Australian government has released $10 million in additional funding through its call centre and back office processing scheme, which aims to create more digitally-enabled jobs.

The scheme was developed to grow employment opportunities in the call centre and back-office processing sector in Western Australia back in 2020.

Phase one saw the government allocate $14.9 million to the scheme, leading to 350 jobs created across the state with Datacom and OracleCMS among the successful applicants.

With phase two now underway, the state government is looking to see its funding put towards “existing call centre and back office processing operators in WA to expand or set up new operations”.

Successful applicants could receive funding support of $10,000 per full-time job created in WA, up to a maximum of $2 million.

It’s hoped the scheme will add 1600 full-time, entry level jobs to the state, “including roles in systems development, technical support, client services and back office processing.”

“In addition to creating more metropolitan and regional jobs, the scheme aims to increase the capacity of the digital sector, strengthen organisational capability, upskill call centre and back office processing staff, grow employment of diverse groups and encourage the adoption of new technologies,” the WA government said in a statement.

Western Australia’s deputy premier and minster for state development Roger Cook said the scheme “created vital jobs at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in the employment of more than 350 Western Australians.”

He added due to the nature of the processing work, the scheme “is helping Western Australians to enter or re-join the workforce, and gain more independence.