Recently I was asked by State Government colleagues what I thought about the Australian Government response to the House Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services reports.
Providing evidence for the House Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services in 2023, hearing others contribute, and submitting formal responses, it was clear that whilst there are pockets of good quality, tailored services, it is not across the board.
“…building and embedding more active stewardship from the Australian Public Service (APS) in the employment services system, combined with a range of providers and delivery partners, including a greater role for community-based organisations such as social enterprise and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community-controlled organisations.”
I believe that this means that more and more services will be insourced if the current Australian Government stays in place, and providers are more likely to be Not for Profits rather than private companies. If services are designed inhouse, i.e. within government, they are likely to really miss the mark, however there is the opportunity to demonstrate Strategic Foresight, informed by evidence and global leading practices and systems.
“The vision for Workforce Australia is to provide a simple, supported, connected and respectful service”, and everyone will have their own ‘words’, where I’d like to see simple, supportive, collaborative and innovative services, underpinned by a set of values and behaviours. There needs to be specific goals, such as eligible people finding employment, but ideally earning much more than any income support payments.
When it comes to ‘employment’ it is important to include all forms, covering self-employment and flexible work options, such as being a business owner or sole trader, rather than only being an employee.
If you undertook a complete mapping exercise and compared it against needs for long term unemployed people, employers and industry, you’ll see where there might be gaps, with a vision and a strategic workforce action plan, effective workforce development strategies can be designed to bridge the gaps.
Supporting “…businesses with recruitment and to adjust workplace practices to help connect them to candidates with the skills they need”, should be extended to attraction and recruitment, retention and development, strategic workforce planning and forecasting.
The point about focusing providers on people who need more support, should be extended to creating a Personal and Professional Development Fund which would help to bridge the gaps on the very practical help that long-term unemployed people and those returning to the workforce need. This fund would allow for expenses such as getting your car fixed, petrol, drivers licence (lessons and fees), car registration, clothing, shoes, accessories, haircuts and colours, makeup, coaching and mentoring for confidence building, dentistry, optometry and health appointments, tickets for public transport, meeting money (i.e. to get to and buy a coffee or similar at the meetings they may need to attend), occasional child care and OHSC, and other costs that are personalised.
“The Select Committee identified the need for better upfront assessment processes.” This assessment should be undertaken by experienced and skilled professionals, with self-assessment too and a career action plan developed, covering the A-Z of what might be needed, both personally and professionally to help a person back into, or up for work. A library of relevant, up to date relevant content, tools and resources, can support the client and practitioner, with options including Microcredentials. Tools can assist with skills needs analysis, finding relevant programs and interventions, as well as face to face and online events, webinars and workshops to build networking and presentation skills, as well as meeting potential employers, industry and regional leaders.
An area that still needs looking into is the cost of services with some benchmarking across providers – what services do clients receive to support successful outcomes and what are the inputs to make that happen?
“A lack of alignment with employer and industry needs”, requires applying Strategic Foresight to workforce demand, across industry sectors and regions, including remote job opportunities. “Work is underway to develop an employment services system that employers want to use”, but by whom?
“The Select Committee emphasised the value of place-based approaches in achieving a greater ability to respond to regional-specific challenges, the capacity for communities and government to shape initiatives together, and to work in long term partnerships to resolve problems.” Isn’t that already in place with 51 Employment Facilitators?
I’ve long advocated for an education, employment, entrepreneurship, skills and workforce ecosystem, that builds upon local experience in South Australia. And not a predetermined Community of Practice model that DEWR has tried to implement, which ignores the methodology and facilitation approach.
In terms of “…further investments in regional and place-based employment services to better connect people with local labour markets, and to better meet the specific needs of people and businesses of a region”, this needs to encourage innovation and be evidence based with more of an emphasis on workforce demand and then supply.
The innovative example provided is an insourced service for Broome – where are the examples of global good practice? And on feedback loops, there were many standout examples of innovation and amazing client stories with Entrepreneurship Facilitators across Australia, but DEWR cancelled the contracts and services.
Time and time again we’ve reported problems with the IT system.
The eighth Principle for Reform of Employment Services says, “Reforms are grounded in evidence, high quality evaluation and continuous learning and improvement”, but where is the Strategic Foresight and International Innovation?