The NSW Goverment’s 2024-2025 Return to Work Pathways Program is opening the door for organisations in Parramatta to fund tailored projects supporting local women to overcome employment barriers.
Return to Work Pathways offers a share of $2 million in funding, with grant opportunities ranging from $100,000 to $250,000 to support the needs of diverse women in NSW who experience lower workforce participation rates.
Organisations working with the following eight priority groups are eligible to apply for funding:
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women
- women with disability
- carers
- older women (over 55 years)
- young women (17-24 years)
- women from culturally and linguistically diverse communities
- women living in regional, rural, and remote areas (particularly Far West NSW and North West NSW)
- women living in Western Sydney (see the eligibility criteria for the list of Local Government Areas).
The Return to Work Pathways Program was launched in 2023 and has already funded 22 successful projects and empowered more than 1,000 women to advance their employment goals.
Tailored return-to-work projects provide wraparound support, including training, mentoring and pathways to employment.
Beacon Laundry’s Women@Work in the NSW Northern Rivers region is one example of a Return to Work Pathways success story.
The organisation has created 50 jobs for local women experiencing complex barriers to employment and provdes access mentoring, on-the-job training and pathways to mainstream employment.
Women@Work aims to ensure employees are retained at Beacon or become job-ready to ease the transition to mainstream employment.
Expressions of Interest for the Return to Work Pathways Program opened on Monday 11 November 2024 and close on 6 December 2024.
For more information on the grant program, eligibility information and details on how to apply, visit https://www.nsw.gov.au/grants-and-funding/2024-25-return-to-work-pathways-program
Minister for Women Jodie Harrison said:
“Encouraging and supporting women to enter or re-enter the workforce is essential to building their confidence and wellbeing, as well as boosting the economy and benefitting families across NSW.
“Projects funded under the Return to Work Pathways program provide women with the opportunity to overcome barriers and secure sustainable employment that they might have otherwise missed out on.
“I encourage all eligible organisations with ideas for projects aimed at supporting pathways to employment and advancing economic participation for women in NSW to apply for a grant."
People and Pathways at Beacon Laundry General Manager Morag Roseby said:
“This funding has allowed us to do more than provide jobs—we’re able to create a community where each woman can feel supported to address their barriers and work toward their goals.
“For many, this is the first step toward securing stable housing, achieving financial independence, and building a future they can feel excited about. Through providing a safe, welcoming space to gain confidence, learn new skills, and move forward on their own terms, we're seeing first-hand how this support is transforming lives.
“Take Terri, who at 55 years, has just secured her very first job. Terri’s disability and previous struggles with substance addiction presented barriers for past employers, forcing her into long-term unemployment. Today, Terri is thriving. She was one of our first team members to be offered a permanent part-time contract, giving her a sense of independence and financial security that before Beacon, was out of reach.”
