The Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services is undertaking a first-principles review of the Workforce Australia employment services system.

The Committee is seeking evidence from stakeholders on key issues with Workforce Australia, but more importantly is seeking advice and proposals for policy settings and service models which can optimise employment services in the future.

Noting the complexity of the employment services system and the breadth of the Committee’s inquiry, the guidance material provided by the Committee identifies issues and themes of particular interest and/or concern, and sets out questions it would like submitters to consider in relation to each topic.

The guide published is not intended to be prescriptive. Submitters do not need to respond to every topic and may choose to response to some or all the questions proposed for considered. Written submissions may also highlight other issues, so long as they remain directly relevant to the Terms of Reference.

• View the full Submission Guide [974 KB]
  
  

Submissions are requested by 17 March 2023.

Note: The Disability Employment Services and Community Development Program are out-of-scope of this inquiry. Submissions, however, may reference these programs in relation to how they interact with the Workforce Australia employment service system.

Outline of identified issues

The Committee has flagged the following topics as areas of particular interest and/or concern.

• The underlying policy objectives for employment services.
• The architecture of employment services, such as market and organisational structure.
• Responding to local and place-based needs.
• The ways in which services are delivered to individuals versus what services they may need.
• Supporting jobseekers into suitable, sustainable jobs.
• Meeting the needs of employers and demand-led approaches.
• The nature of mutual obligations, activation, compliance and enforcement.
• Oversight and assurance of services, with transparency of research and evaluation.
  
  

Questions provided to guide submissions

Some underlying questions that the Committee would like submitters to consider are:

• What would be the ideal? What needs to be done to get there?
• Are there any aspects of the current system which are of particular concern?
• How do we preserve aspects of the current system that are done well?
• How do we ensure an end-to-end approach to service delivery?
• How could we create greater opportunities for those in the system?
• What would be the one, key change, if implemented, that would drive the greatest improvements?
• What are the biggest barriers to the delivery of good outcomes in the current system, and what needs to be done to remove, or minimise, those barriers?
• How do we create a system with less rather than more complexity?
  
  

Sharing lived experiences

The Committee is particularly interested in the perspectives of people who have first-hand experiences with the Workforce Australia employment services system. This includes:

• people who have used employment services to prepare for or find work now or in the past (for example Workforce Australia, jobactive, Transition to Work or Work for the Dole) and/or
• employers who have tried to use employment services to recruit staff.

The Committee has published a short guide to assist people to share their lived experiences and recommendations for change.

• View the short guide sharing lived experience [PDF 157KB]

Confidential and name withheld submissions

The Committee can be asked to accept a confidential or name withheld submission.

Confidential submissions are only read by members of the Committee and the secretariat and are not published.

Name withheld submissions are published on the Committee's website with personal information redacted.

Support services

Please be aware that the Committee is unable to intervene or provide advice in relation to individual circumstances.

If you or someone you know needs help, please contact the relevant services below.

To seek assistance with employment services:

• National Customer Service Line – 1800 805 260 (for participants with a provider)
  
  
• Digital Services Contact Centre – 1800 314 677 (for participants in online services)
  
  
• Employer Hotline – 13 17 15 (for employers and business owners)
  
  

To seek assistance with income support payments or services:

• Centrelink employment services line – 132 850
  
  
• Services Australia complaints and feedback – 1800 132 468
  
  

To access counselling and other support services:

• Lifeline – 13 11 14
  
  
• Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636
  
  
• Financial Counselling Australia – 1800 007 007