Max Hatzoglou
Melbourne Airport has begun conversations with Brimbank council to support the municipality in lowering its unemployment rate by providing locals with access to more than 120 job opportunities at the airport.
As the aviation industry rebuilds its workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Melbourne Airport is looking at how to better link Brimbank residents with jobs.
More than 120 vacancies across security, cleaning, customer service, maintenance, cabin crew and management have emerged at the Tullamarine site.
The latest Australian Bureau of Statistics figures revealed Brimbank recorded a 9 per cent unemployment rate, well above the state’s average of 4.6 per cent.
Melbourne Airport said airlines and service providers offer roles to suit all skill levels and work backgrounds.
Melbourne Airport chief executive Lyell Strambi said the growth in passenger demand as restrictions ease was pleasing, but warned it presents challenges as the aviation industry rebuilds.
“Covid-19 decimated airlines and airports and resulted in thousands of workers being stood down or made redundant,” Mr Strambi said.
“The airlines and their suppliers are now scaling up their workforce, but given the safety-critical nature of the jobs they do, recruitment and re-training can take time.
“We know tens of thousands of people are planning to travel over the Easter holidays and that will put pressure on some parts of our operation, so we’d ask passengers to arrive early and be patient while we work to get them where they need to be.”
Melbourne Airport is one of the largest employment precincts in Victoria outside of the Melbourne CBD.
About 380,000 people were expected to pass through Melbourne Airport across the five days of the Easter long weekend travel period.
