MAX Employment Northam won the Regional Employment Award at the Employment Awards held in Queensland.
The Employment Awards aim to recognise, raise awareness and promote the benefits of employing at risk groups including disability, mature age, youth, indigenous and regional unemployed.
MAX was recognised for its innovative approach to regional servicing, which includes an outreach program covering 1100 kilometres a fortnight, engaging work experience activities and the launch of a bus which transports job seekers to work-experience activities.
MAX Employment Northam work experience co-ordinator Paul Buswell represented the organisation at the awards and said it was an honour to be recognised at a national level.
"It's exciting to receive this award and see the work we're doing is making a difference to the communities of the Wheatbelt region," Mr Buswell said.
Driver Jason Colbung, from Quairading, has been a success story for the centre, having gaining fulltime employment after being on MAX Employment's books for some time.
Employment awards judge Peter Sugg said although MAX Employment covered a large land mass from its Northam office, it had proven it was able to connect with many small and remote communities in the area.
"The ability to engage job seekers and establish strong community relationships is key to ongoing employment success," Mr Sugg said.
Mr Buswell believed one of the greatest obstacles faced by job seekers in the area was the lack of transport.
With no public transport many job seekers without a licence or transport found it difficult to attend appointments and engage with work-experience programs.
The team at MAX Northam provides an outreach service which travels throughout the towns of the Wheatbelt region, including Quairading, Beverley, York, Toodyay, Dowerin, Goomalling, Cunderdin and Wyalkatchem.
"We have developed a model which allows us to go to job seekers and for job seekers to come to us," Mr Buswell said.
"We spend about one-and-a-half days commuting each fortnight and cover about 1100km.
"We provide support to more than 530 job seekers, of which 250 are without licences or transport. On top of this we have the WEx Express Bus which transports job seekers to work experience programs."
Mr Buswell said the bus ran five days a week and allowed job seekers to attend work experience programs where they undertook structured training and learnt new skills to help them enter the workforce.
