Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2024, published 113rd ILC session (2025)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Australia (Ratification: 1969)

The Committee notes the observations of the International Organisation of Employers’ (IOE), received on 30 August 2024, as well as the response from the Government, received on 12 September 2024.

Education and training policies. The Committee notes the comprehensive information provided by the Government on education and training policies and programs implemented at the federal and territory levels. The Government highlights the launch in January 2024 of the five-year National Skills Agreement (NSA), which identifies eight national priorities to address critical skills and workforce shortages, namely: gender equality, closing the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, supporting net-zero transformation, sustaining essential care services, developing Australia’s sovereign capability and food security, ensuring Australia’s digital and technological capability, delivering reforms to improve the regulation of regulatory reforms to vocational education and training (VET), and delivering housing supply. In this context, the Government provides information on several measures to enhance access to VET, including the Fee-Free Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE) programme, supporting 480’000 fee-free vocational education places from 2023 to 2026, in high-demand sectors such as agriculture, care, construction, and technology. The Government specifies that the TAFE Agreement targets priority groups, including First Nations Australians, youth, women, persons with disabilities, and unpaid carers. It reports that, by the end of 2023, over 355’000 students had enrolled in Fee-Free TAFE programmes nationally. The Government also indicates that it introduced the Women in Non-Traditional Trades initiative, which provides support to help women complete their apprenticeship and succeed in post training. The Government further mentions 2023 amendment to the VET Student Loans Act, extending loan eligibility to Pacific Engagement Visa holders. Additionally, the Government indicates that the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) have been revised, effective July 2025, with the aim to ensure high-quality and training for all users of the VET system. The Government indicates that it has also introduced various higher education policies to promote full, productive, and freely chosen employment, including the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP), which will provide financial support as from July 2025 to approximately 68,000 higher education and 5,000 vocational education and training (VET) students, as they undertake mandatory placement into priority sectors such as teaching, nursing, midwifery, and social work. The Government also invested 27.7 million Australian dollars over four years, starting in 2024, to harmonize regulatory frameworks between higher education and VET, facilitating smoother student transitions. The Government further indicates that it is collaborating with territories to foster university-industry partnerships, including through the creation of Tertiary and Further Education (TAFE) Centres of Excellence and the development of Higher or Advanced Apprenticeships. The Government indicates that it is funding an Advanced Apprenticeship (Industry 4.0) pilot to prepare students for jobs of the future. Additionally, the Government is funding the Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Cadetships with a view to increasing female participation in STEM fields. The Government indicates that additional support to apprentices include the Australian Apprenticeship Support Network, which offers mentoring and wraparound services, particularly for disadvantaged groups such as First Nations Australians and women in male-dominated trades. The Government also highlights the introduction of specialized programs, such as the New Energy Apprenticeships Programme to support apprentices in clean energy sectors and the Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support to encourage the employment of apprentices with disabilities. The Government reports that, as of September 2023, there were 227,600 apprentices aged 24 years and under in training, representing 62.3 per cent of all apprentices. The Government also refers to several measures taken at the territory level, including the User Choice funding policy in the Australian Capital Territory, which offers flexible, subsidized apprenticeships for all working-age Canberrans, including those whose education or training has been interrupted; the South Australian Government’s commitment to creating five new technical colleges to support students facing educational interruptions; and Tasmania’s Rapid Response Skills Initiative, along with programmes like My Education and travel as well as accommodation allowances for apprentices. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information, including statistical data, on the nature, scope and impact of the education and training policies and programmes implemented, at federal and territory levels, with a view to strengthening the employability of workers.

Youth employment. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding its efforts at federal and territory levels to promote youth employment, primarily through initiatives aimed at facilitating transitions from education to work and enhancing skill acquisition for young people. The Government notably indicates that Workforce Australia, the country’s new national employment service, includes the Transition to Work (TtW) programme, which supports disadvantaged youth aged 15–24 years at risk of an unsuccessful school-to-work transition. The Government indicates that, as part of Workforce Australia, the TtW programme has introduced expanded eligibility criteria, increased the maximum duration of assistance (from 18 to 24 months), and implemented stronger engagement mechanisms to enhance participation, alongside new performance frameworks for contracted providers. The Government also indicates that new Youth Advisory Sessions are available to young people using Workforce Australia Online, offering up to three free one-on-one consultations with specialist youth advisers in their local area. Additionally, the Government highlights the introduction of a Youth Bonus Wage Subsidy, offering up to 10,000 Australian dollars (approximately US$6,458) to employers hiring eligible young workers. The Government also refers to various measures taken at the territory level to support youth employment, including the Young Workers Strategy (2021–23) in the Australian Capital Territory, the Youth Strategy (2023–33) in the Northern Territory, the Skilling Queenslanders for Work initiative and the Back to Work programme in Queensland, the Youth Action Plan (2024–27) in South Australia, the Youth Jobs Strategy in Tasmania and, the Youth Action Plan in Western Australia. The Committee notes that, despite the reduction in the youth unemployment rate from 10.2 per cent in 2021 to 8.3 per cent in 2023 (9.2 per cent for young men and 7.4 per cent for young women, according to ILOSTAT), the youth unemployment rate remains higher than the overall national unemployment rate, which stood at 3.7 per cent in 2023 (3.8 per cent for men and 3.6 per cent for women). In this context, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on the measures envisaged or taken, at federal and territory levels, to promote youth employment; as well as information, including statistical data, on the impact of these measures on the quantity and quality of youth employment.

Persons with disabilities. The Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government regarding the measures taken at the federal and territory levels to support the employment of persons with disabilities. The Government notably indicates that, within Workforce Australia, a dedicated Disability Employment Service supports around 250,000 jobseekers with a disability, offering personalized case management. The Government adds that, subsidies up to 10,000 dollars may be available to employers that hire persons with disabilities. The Government reports that, as of May 2024, Workforce Australia has placed 82,210 jobseekers with disabilities into work (representing 22.9 per cent of all job placements). The Government also indicates that a new Disability Employment Centre of Excellence is expected to launch in March 2025, which will provide best-practice resources and training to help providers deliver quality employment service to persons with disabilities and their employers. The Government further indicates that it has designed and implemented, together with the Business Council of Australia, the Career Pathways Pilot, which aims to promote the career pathways and leadership potential of employees with disabilities, notably by fostering a disability-inclusive workplace culture. In addition, the Government indicates that the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) program and the Digital Work and Study Service (DWSS), which provide specialized vocational education and employment support for young people with mental ill health, are currently under evaluation, with the process having commenced in 2024 and expected to conclude by March 2025. The Government reports that in 2022–23, the IPS program supported over 2,800 young people with disabilities, with 71 per cent achieving positive employment or education outcomes, while the DWSS assisted over 700 young people with disabilities, with 49 per cent achieving positive work or study outcomes. Moreover, the Government indicates that it has developed, in consultation with territories, a Supported Employment Plan which includes a range of practical initiatives and actions, with a specific focus on the employment for persons with disabilities. The Government adds that it funds several other programmes supporting the employment of persons with disabilities, such as the Structural Adjustment Fund, aimed at creating sustainable employment pathways for persons with intellectual disabilities and other high support needs, and the Disability Employment Expos which helps persons with disabilities explore new employment opportunities. The Government mentions several measures taken at the territory level, including Queensland’s Disability Plan 2022–27, which is Queensland’s primary mechanism to give effect to Australia’s Disability Strategy 2021–31, and Victoria’s TAFE Disability Inclusion Strategy. The Government reports that, as of 2022, 60.5 per cent of working-age persons with disabilities were participating in the labour force in Australia, a significant increase from 53.4 per cent in 2018. In comparison, the labour force participation rate for persons without disability was 84.9 per cent in 2022, compared with 84.1 per cent in 2018. In this context,the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on the measures envisaged or taken to promote the employment of persons with disabilities. The Committee also requests the Government to continue to provide information, including statistical data, on their impact on the sustainable integration of persons with disabilities into the labour market. The Committee further requests the Government to provide information on the measures taken or envisaged to coordinate the different policies and programmes implemented to promote the sustainable employment of persons with disabilities.

Older workers. The Committee notes the Government’s information on the continuation of the Career Transition Assistance (CTA) program, which has supported 9,495 workers aged 45 years and over as of March 2024, with surveys indicating over 90 per cent of participants finding that the CTA helped them improving their application skills. The Committee also notes that a Mature Age Hub provides information and tools to support jobseekers aged 45 years and over as well as employers interested in hiring them. The Government further highlights several programmes that, while not exclusively focused on promoting the employment of older workers, may provide support in this regard, including the Self-Employment Assistance programme, with 18.2 per cent of participants aged 55 years and over, the Workforce Australia Wage Subsidy, which may benefit workers with a reduced capacity to work, and the Local Jobs Programme, which has placed 1,060 workers aged 55 years and over into Local Jobs projects. In addition, the Government indicates that 138,550 persons aged 55 and over were registered with Workforce Australia in May 2024, representing 20.3 per cent of its caseload, and that between July 2022 and May 2024, 11.4 per cent of all job placements under Workforce Australia Services were for this age group. The Government also provides information on programmes and policies at the territory level, including the Older Workers Resource Hub in New South Wales, the Northern Territory Seniors Policy 2021-26, the Queensland Seniors Action Plan 2024-26, the Work45+ initiative in Tasmania, the Jobs Victoria Fund, and the Western Australia’s Job Reconnect Program. The Committee notes that between February 2020 and May 2024, the labour force participation rate for persons aged 55 years and over increased from 36.7 per cent to 37.3 per cent in Australia, while the participation rate for those aged 65 and over rose more significantly, from 14.4 per cent to 16.2 per cent. In view of the above, the Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on the impact of the programmes and other measures taken or envisaged at the federal and territory levels to encourage and support the employment of older workers.