New online portal to support businesses and regional job security

A world-first platform is coming to Toowoomba to support businesses who are having to temporarily reduce their staffing levels.     

With COVID-19 creating turmoil for many employers across the region, BenchOn is a platform that allows businesses to temporarily ‘loan’ their excess staff to companies who are experiencing a temporary increase in demand, through a secondee or sub-contract model.

The local portal hosted on the BenchOn platform will be launched in the region by Toowoomba Regional Council, with support from Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise, creating relief to businesses while, at the same time, supporting job security for employees.

TSBE CEO, Ali Davenport, said the platform is uniquely suited to the nation’s current economic climate, since it offers the chance to keep talented people in the region while simultaneously bringing more work into the region from across the country.  

TSBE were already looking at utilising this system, prior to COVID-19, to help stabilise employment regionally and create opportunity for new job growth, however, the pandemic has increased the need for this type of regional support.

“Our economy is facing unprecedented stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic.”

“In this time of disruption, there has never been a greater need for collaboration by sharing staff to manage the unpredictable troughs and spikes in demand.”

“BenchOn has the ability to allocate business opportunities swiftly from businesses who are temporarily experiencing increased demand, to businesses who are experiencing a downturn or who have the capacity to support.”

“The goal for our region is to prevent large increases in unemployment and allow companies to keep their quality staff for when the economy starts moving again,” said Ms Davenport.

BenchOn CEO, Tim Walmsley, said the portal has already proven successful across the nation, currently supporting thousands of businesses and processing over $100 million worth of contracts.

“Employees are valuable assets that help bring in revenue and we want to make sure we empower businesses to keep their most valuable assets,” said Mr Walmsley.

“The BenchOn platform means that downturns don’t have to mean laying off quality staff as the platform will automatically link the business to more business opportunities both locally and from across the country. These paid opportunities are matched based on the capability, skills, experience and availability of your employees.”

“As it is a Business to Business contract, the employee keeps their employment and entitlements including leave and tenure creating a win for the business, the employee and the region.”

The portal is an economic retention tool available to all businesses in the region.

Ms Davenport said due to TSBE’s engagement with businesses and organisations across the agricultural, health, energy and infrastructure sector, and across the entire Toowoomba and Surat Basin region, they are able to share this portal to the wider business community.

“This platform will also benefit local recruitment firms and labour agencies by allowing them to make their talent available for suitable contract roles. It will essentially notify them when an opportunity is available that suits their business specialisation, which they can then choose to respond to.”

“It will also give them the opportunity to access roles in other markets across Australia creating greater business diversity” said Ms Davenport.

“We all know how hard it is for companies to attract skilled workers and how difficult it can be to let go of good people when times are tough.”

“BenchOn will allow businesses to keep a hold of their valuable staff and retain quality workers in the region so that when the COVID restrictions end we can get the economy moving quickly” said Ms Davenport.

Check out BenchOn here: https://www.benchon.com/