These past few weeks have been difficult for even for the most resilient people and businesses. Despite Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s “JobKeeper” package, many people will unfortunately still be without work.

But although we’ve seen increases in unemployment, there are also many industries increasing their workforce in response to COVID-19.

Here we provide a list of employers who are scaling up their workforce (with many jobs here in the Hunter region!). This list is especially targeted towards casuals and part-timers who have been especially hard hit in this crisis. We’ve also prepared a list of jobs where we are seeing increased demand and some resources to assist you with your job search.

Here’s a quick list of employers who are recruiting right now:

• Coles is hiring a further 5000 casuals, on top of the 7000 workers they have recruited over the past fortnight. Find out more here
• Woolworths are significantly growing their workforce, hiring 20,000 across Aus, with 5,700 in NSW. Find out more here 
• Aldi are also hiring. Find out more here
• John Hunter Hospital are currently seeking a range of casual staff. Apply here
• Lifestyle Solutions are currently seeking casual support workers. More info here
• Integrated Living are also seeking support workers for aged care. Apply here
• Allambi Care are currently looking to hire disability support workers. Apply here
• Premier Youthworks are seeking applications for residential care workers – see more here
• Opal Specialised Aged Care have a range of jobs available – check them out here
• Bolton Clarke are advertising for personal care workers – you can find out more and apply here
• Prospect Farm Accommodation are currently advertising for disability help desk on-call assistance roles, see more here
• Hunter Valley Care are currently looking for casual carers. Find out more here   
• Anglican Care have numerous jobs on across their multiple facilities in Newcastle and the Hunter. Check them out here

If you are looking for a casual or carer role you can get in touch with the above organisations directly.

Jobs with increased demand:

In addition to this we have compiled a list of jobs where there is growing demand. You can search for these jobs on SEEK.

• Disability support worker – there is always a need for disability support workers especially following the roll out of the NDIS. However, during COVID-19, there is an increasing need for these workers to ensure people with a disability – who include some our most vulnerable community members – can access appropriate support and the services they need.
• Delivery driver – as people are confined to their house, more drivers are needed to deliver food, essential items and online retail. 
• Customer service representative – if you have experience in hospitality you will have refined your ability to create positive customer experiences and manage and direct enquires. There are a number of companies who are seeking customer service representatives in response to COVID-19, across the government, healthcare and retail sectors.  
• Administration officer – companies are growing their admin teams to provide increased support and communications to their employees, teams and customers during the COVID-19 period. You may need some previous administration experience for some roles – but this is a good place to start within an organisation.
• Warehouse operators – factory and warehousing staff are in demand due to the increased demand for grocery, medical and other essential goods as the community prepares for COVID-19. You will need a forklift and drivers licence for many of these roles.
• Support worker, aged care – like disability support workers, these roles support our more vulnerable population. During COVID-19, seniors, especially people who are living independently, need added support as they are confined to their homes. You will need a Certificate III in Individual Support or equivalent qualification OR minimum 12 months experience providing personal care to the elderly or disabled. 

Resources to assist:

We have also developed a couple of articles and resources that might be of interest to you during this time:

• Top ten tips for a winning resume
• Video interview tips to give you the edge
• How to manage your social image when job seeking

GWG’s Nextwave Program

We’ve developed a program to link up displaced workers with jobs in emerging high-demand industries in response to COVID-19. See more about this program here.