1989 – 1995

  • Started in Shepparton in April 1989 as Goulburn Valley Worktrainers for the Disabled Inc
  • Disability Employment Placements: 38 (1990) and 123 (1995)
  • First formal meeting of committee for Goulburn Valley Worktrainers for the Disabled Inc  held on 18th of July 1989
  • Worktrainers starts servicing the community in April 1990
  • The first client was referred to us on the 12th of April and our first job placement occurred 8 days later
  • New funding stream for Supported Employment Program commenced in April 93, providing services in Mansfield, Echuca and Goulburn Valley areas. Worktrainers opens a full-time office in Mansfield to deliver the program at this time
  • Goulburn and Murray Enterprises (GAME) became a business arm of the organisation, providing supported work for our clients in 1993, launching a Wheelie Bin Cleaning Service in Shepparton and winning a contract to manage the Rodney Shine Transfer Stations during this time.
  • We make our first advert for local television TV in 1994,  promoting our employment services.

1995 – 2000

  • Disability Employment Placements: 129 (1995 – 1996) and 102 (1999 – 2000)
  • Full time offices operating in  Cobram, Echuca, Mansfield, Seymour and  Shepparton and providing an outreach service in Yarrawonga
  • Dropped Goulburn Valley from name – now known as Worktrainers and launched  a new look logo in 1995
  • Secured Pre- Vocational Training tender from Department of Social Security – Heralding Worktrainers becoming a broader based organisation in 1995
  • Passed the first ever Departmental Standards Audit with flying colours and classed as a benchmark organisation in  1996
  • GAME started offering additional services including office cleaning, gardening,  mowing and irrigation systems assembly during 1996.
  • Worktrainers entered into working relationship with Mental Illness Fellowship to provide alternatives in employment for people with a mental illness in 1996.
  • Worktrainers opens new full-time offices in Cobram, Wangaratta, Benalla and Kyabram.
  • In 1998 Worktrainers began delivering the Federal Government’s Job Network Contract, now providing employment services to a wider cohort of jobseekers.
  • GAME wins contract with the Shire of Strathbogie to staff transfer stations in 1998.
  • The second round of Job Network Contracts in 2000 saw Worktrainers winning additional business and expanding services across much of North East Victoria.
  • In 2000 the first MOU was signed between Worktrainers and KEETA Indigenous Employment  supporting the establishment of the highly successful  “Ladders to Success” program.

2000 – 2005

  • Disability Employment Placements: 128 (2000 – 2001) and 184 (2004 – 2005)
  • Job Network Placements: 1,132 (2000 – 2001) and 2,853 (2004 – 2005)
  • Harvest Labour Placements: 3,641 (2004 – 2005)
  • Fulltime Offices: Benalla, Cobram, Echuca, Mansfield, Seymour, Shepparton, Wangaratta
  • Services offered in: Bright, Beechworth, Kyabram, Myrtleford, Yarrawonga, Mt Beauty
  • Worktrainers were the proud winners of the Shepparton Business Achievement Awards in 2001.
  • The Job Network Employment Services Contract 3 saw Worktrainers gaining additional business in Kiewa (Wodonga) with full time office opening in 2003 to service jobseekers in this area.
  • In 2002 Worktrainers were the first in Victoria and second in Australia to be certified to the newly established National Disability Service Standards.
  • GAME expanded services into the Albury Wodonga area in 2003, with a new depot established in Wodonga.
  • The National Harvest Labour Office Contract awarded to Worktrainers in Shepparton in 2003.
  • In 2003 launched an initiative between Rumbalara and Worktrainers to secure 100 jobs for indigenous people in the area and achieved a 96% success rate.
  • Worktrainers gained ISO 9001:2000 Certification in 2004.
  • Goulburn Valley based Harvest Labour Office was most successful in Australia for number of placements and ‘NIL’ official complaints according to DEWR in 2004.

2005 – 2010

  • Disability Employment Placements: 267 (2005 – 2006) and 334 (2009 – 2010).
  • Job Network Placements: 1,575 (2005 – 2006) and 667 (2009 – 2010).
  • Harvest Labour Placements: 2,907 (2006 – 2007).
  • Full-time offices in Benalla, Bendigo, Bright, Castlemaine, Cobram, Echuca, Mansfield, Myrtleford, Seymour, Shepparton, Wangaratta, Wodonga and Yarrawonga. Services offered in Beechworth, Kyabram and  Rutherglen
  • GAME have depots in Shepparton, Wangaratta and Wodonga.
  • GAME’s Bin Cleaning Service commenced in Echuca (2006 – 2007).
  • AusTravel jobs became second business arm of organisation and later becomes ATJ Recruitment (2006 – 2007)
  • Won business in Bendigo and Castlemaine to deliver Disability Employment Network to 120 clients (2007 – 2008)
  • GAME introduced Traffic Management services in Shepparton (2007 – 2008).
  • GAME enters into joint venture between Sustainability Victoria & City of Wodonga to run Recovery GAME on site at the Wodonga Transfer Station in the new purpose built shed (2007 – 2008).
  • Successful Job Service Australia (JSA) tender – successor to Job Network. Sees overall increase in quantum of business. however sites at Benalla, Bright, Cobram, Mansfield, Myrtleford closed whilst services offered in Beechworth and Rutherglen cease at the end of financial year (2008 – 2009).
  • Worktrainers celebrated 20 years (2009 – 2010).
  • ATJ Recruitment changes name to Recruitment Select (2009 – 2010).
  • The business was registered to brand a connector for Worktrainers, GAME and Recruitment Select (2009 – 2010).
  • G.A.M.E – Goulburn and Murray Enterprises officially relaunched as GAME Traffic & Contracting (2009 – 2010).
  • Purchased land for future Head Office at 98 Drummond Rd.

2010 – 2015

  • Disability Employment Placements: 418 (2010 – 2011) and 252 (2014 – 2015)
  • Job Services Australia Placements: 777 (2010 – 2011)
  • Specialised Employment Programs: 130 (2014 – 2015)
  • GAME Traffic & Contracting employed: 104 people, equating to 38,955 paid hours (2010 – 2011) and 164 people equating to 93,013 paid hours (2014 – 2015)
  • Recruitment Select employed: 416 people – 126,812 paid hours (2010 – 2011) and 329 people -115,746 paid hours (2014 – 2015).
  • Worktrainers has full-time offices in  Albury, Bendigo, Castlemaine, Echuca, Seymour, Shepparton and Wangaratta and offers outreach services in  Benalla, Kyabram, Rochester, Wallan and  Wodonga.
  • GAME Traffic & Contracting has depots in  Bendigo, Shepparton, Wangaratta and Wodonga.
  • Recruitment Select has offices in Shepparton and  Wangaratta.
  • GAME adds Temporary Fencing to a growing list of Business to Business services offered in 2010
  • Geared4Careers commences in Wangaratta in 2010, Shepparton in 2012 and in Wodonga 2015.
  • GAME Traffic & Contracting opens a depot in Bendigo in  2012 after securing Gardening contracts with the Office of Housing.
  • Corporate headquarters at 98 Drummond Road completed in 2011.
  • GAME was selected as a finalist in the medium/large category of the Australian Social Enterprise Awards in 2012 and 2013.
  • GAME wins a major contract to supply traffic management services to Powercor from 2015-2017.

 

2015 – 2020

  • Specialised Employment Program Placements: 184 (2015 – 2016) and 503 (2019 – 2020)
  • GAME : 98,481 paid hours (2015 – 2016) and 191,898 hours (2019 – 2020)
  • Recruitment Select : 192,005 hours (2015 – 2016) and 263,249 hours (2019 – 2020)
  • GAME opened Sub-Depots: Benalla, Echuca
  • We went from 239 youth participating in Geared4Careers in 2015 to 1074 in 2020.
  • Purchased Wangaratta property – 10 Mason Street (2015 – 2016)
  • Purchased Bendigo property – 53 Powells Ave (2016 – 2017)
  • Invested in our first Truck Mounted Attenuator (2017 – 2018)
  • Started Geared4Careers in Bendigo (2017 – 2018)
  • Completed transition from reliance on Government Funded programs to being fully self-funded (2017 – 2018)
  • GAME and Recruitment Select received Social Enterprise Certification (2018 – 2019)
  • Recruitment Select Achieved AS4801 certification (2019 – 2020)
  • The group paid 515,302 hours of work up from 290,486 in 2015 – 2016 (2019 – 2020)
  • Tim Davies, Tom Garrett and Andrew Prentice 10 years’ service to the Board

2020 – 2025

  • Specialised Employment Program Placements: 727 (2020 – 2021)
  • 1,341 youth participating in Geared4Careers in 2020
  • Geared4Careers commenced in Numurkah (2021 – 2022)
  • Kristin Favaloro reached 10 years as a Board Member (2022 – 2023)