How an Illawarra grant revitalised national coaching service, Project Placed

The free coaching service has helped thousands deal with job search stress, thanks to the IMB Community Foundation

For Ant Cohen, the Illawarra will always hold a special place. In 2023, a grant from the IMB Bank Community Foundation helped him supercharge a service that’s since supported thousands of Australians looking for work.

Cohen is the founder of Project Placed, a not-for-profit that offers free, one-on-one coaching to people navigating the job market. It connects job seekers with a national network of qualified Australian career coaches.

“The first question invariably is, ‘Is this really free?’” Cohen said with a laugh. “It’s in part why we offer a half-hour introductory session so people can suss us out.”