The contracts for Australian Government employment services delivered through Job Services Australia and the Disability Management Service (part of Disability Employment Services) end on 30 June 2015.
In December 2012 the Minister for Employment Participation the Hon Kate Ellis MP released an issues paper titled Employment Services – building on success to start public consultations, to assist the government review existing services and determine the delivery of employment services beyond June 2015.
Individuals and organisations were invited to make written submissions in response to the issues paper by 22 March 2013. Over 170 submissions have been received. They will provide vital assistance to the government in developing employment services beyond June 2015.
Submissions have been published on the submissions website. Any submitter who wishes to have their submission removed can do so by emailing a request to 2015EmploymentServices@deewr.gov.au.
Submissions are published in their original format as made by the submitter. If you have difficulty accessing a submission, please contact DEEWR at 2015EmploymentServices@deewr.gov.au, and DEEWR will attempt to contact the submitter to seek an accessible version of their submission.
Please note that all submitters were asked to provide their submissions in accessible formats, and guidance was provided on how this could be achieved. DEEWR will update submissions where accessible versions of the submissions become available.
The following is a summary of some of the major themes emerging from the consultation process.
Meeting the needs of job seekers
- Review the Job Seeker Classification Instrument so streaming becomes more accurate, and simplify the reassessment process.
- Intervene early so that young people have timely career development advice and make seamless school to work transitions.
- Train provider staff to work with particular cohorts of job seekers – eg those with mental health issues; Culturally and Linguistically Diverse.
- Focus more on placing job seekers into long term jobs.
- Improve on-the-job post-placement support to achieve better outcomes for both job seekers and employers.
- Increase investment in pre-employment and personal development programs.
- Encourage career development, not just holding down a job.
- Ensure training is directed to actual jobs.
- Ensure that job referrals match the job seeker’s skill set and personal circumstances.
Working in partnership with employers
- Make employers central to the employment services system.
- Providers need better understanding of employer needs.
- Target job seeker training on the needs of the jobs market and employers.
- Have one point of contact between employment services and local employers, and one point of contact between employment services and large national employers.
- Retain wage subsidies.
- Increase promotion of employment services to employers and peak industry bodies, supported by high quality servicing of employers.
- Ensure providers screen job candidates so that only suitable, motivated candidates go to interview.
- Ensure strong links between providers and existing regional economic development planning structure (Regional Development Australia network).
Continuing to cut red tape
- Make the contract requirements and minimum standards easier to understand.
- Ensure that DHS and DEEWR have common policies and apply them in the same way regarding requirements/compliance.
- Simplify/redesign the Employment Services System (ESS) IT system.
- Simplify the current claims system (by, for example, reducing the number of claim points).
- Reduce the outcome validation burden by paying outcomes if job seekers are off-benefit and placements are lodged within ESS.
- Target program assurance on providers with poor records.
Other areas for consideration
- Use modern technologies, particularly social media and mobile devices, to promote employment services, and for feedback from job seekers, employers and other services.
- Utilise social media for outreach and engagement purposes.
- Use social media and connection via video conferencing to increase servicing and broaden the options for isolated job seekers.
- Provide financial support for relocation and for job seekers settling into receiving local communities.
- Introduce incentives for collaboration, innovation and information sharing.
