Workforce Australia Committee turns its focus to the employment services system

HAVING TABLED its interim report into ParentsNext, the Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services will turn its attention to the broader employment services system during a public hearing in Melbourne on Tuesday, March 14, 2023.

The Committee will hear from a range of witnesses including academic experts, peak and advocacy bodies, think tanks, and providers of Workforce Australia and government and non-government programs.

Committee Chair, Julian Hill MP said, "I want to reiterate that this will be a comprehensive, first-principles review. Nothing is off the table.

"There is strong evidence that employment services have failed to invest in jobseekers and to support them into sustainable employment. The committee has also heard that the system has caused harm to many of those it is intended to support and has neglected the needs of employers during a period of increased workforce demand."

"Over the coming months, the committee will conduct public hearings and site visits to explore employment service and alternative programs. We want to ensure we hear from as diverse a range of stakeholders as possible so that we can make sensible, evidence-based recommendations to optimise employment services in the future."

Submissions are requested by March 17, 2023.

Community consultation sessions

Members of the committee will be participating in community consultation sessions facilitated by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence on Monday, April 3, 2023. The sessions — which will be in-person in the Melbourne CBD and online for anyone to attend nationally — are an opportunity for people with lived experience of employment services to share their stories and make suggestions for reform. Thos people who want to participate in one of these sessions can register interest at the link below.

Community consultation sessions: register your interest.

Further information about the inquiry, including Terms of Reference, future public hearings, published submissions and hearing transcripts, are available on the inquiry website.

Public hearing details

Date             14 March 2023
Time             9am – 5pm AEDT
Location       Room G.6, Victorian Parliament House, Springer Street, East Melbourne
Witnesses    Professor Jeff Borland
                      Professor Mark Considine
                      Associate Professor Siobhan O’Sullivan
                      Professor Gaby Ramia
                      Dr Michael McGann
                      Brotherhood of St Laurence
                      Centre for Policy Development
                      Per Capita
                      National Employment Services Association
                      Jobs Australia
                      Jobs Victoria
                      APM Employment
                      IntoWork Australia
                      Jobfind Centres Australia

The hearing will be live broadcast via the Parliament’s Watch, Read, Listen website.

 

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