Andrew Laming says he is concerned there will not be enough places in not-for-profits and local government services

Young unemployed people required to “work for the dole” under the government’s new “learn or earn” system should be placed with small businesses as well as with charities and government agencies, according to a government backbencher.

Queensland MP Andrew Laming told colleagues at the government’s closed-door party room meeting he was concerned that there would not be enough places in not for profit organisations or local government services for all the under 30 year olds who will now be required to work for the dole.



“If we want to introduce mandatory activity requirements after six months on benefits we will need to scale up and I am concerned we won’t be able to place them all with government authorities or not-for-profits; we won’t have enough places to keep up with demand,” Laming told Guardian Australia.



“I raised the possibility that work for the dole could be opened up, that it could be broader than that,” Laming said.



Under the current system, work for the dole can include volunteer work with not-for-profits, or local, state or territory government agencies, but not with private businesses.



From July 1, new arrangements will be phased in to require under 30s in high unemployment “target areas” who have been unemployed for more than a year to do work for the dole.



The assistant minister for employment, Luke Hartsuyker, said the young unemployed would “significantly benefit” from the new tough approach, which will require them to do 15 hours’ work per week for six months.



Hartsuyker’s spokesman said the government was confident it would be able to place, under the current arrangements, the 30,000 to 40,000 unemployed who would be required to work for the dole in the first financial year, and placing the unemployed with private businesses was “not being contemplated.”

