Solicitud directa (CEACR) - Adopción: 2025, Publicación: 114ª reunión CIT (2026)

Convenio sobre el servicio del empleo, 1948 (núm. 88) - Australia (Ratificación : 1949)

Articles 1, 2 and 3 of the Convention. Contribution of the employment service to employment promotion. The Government informs about significant transformations in the employment services landscape since its last report on the Convention in 2016. In this regard, the Government indicates the launch of Workforce Australia on 1 July 2022 which replaced Jobactive as Australia’s national employment service and offers permanent digital servicing for jobseekers, tailored support for disadvantaged jobseekers and support for business and industry to find skilled staff that match their needs. Following a 2023 report of a Parliamentary Select Committee on the implementation and performance of Workforce Australia, the Government has announced additional measures in the 2024–25 budget, including a Paid Employment Pathways Package to pilot two new work programmes. The Real Jobs, Real Wages and WorkFoundations programmes aim to provide wage subsidies to people who are at risk of long-term unemployment and support employers who employ jobseekers facing significant barriers to employment. The Government also indicates that following recommendations from the Parliamentary Select Committee, the ParentsNext programme will be replaced in 2024 with a new voluntary pre-employment service offering personalized support to parents of children under 6 years. The Government further refers to its commitment to replace the Community Development Programme (CDP) with a new Remote Jobs and Economic Development Programme (RJED). The RJED will be replaced in two stages, with the first one beginning in the second half of 2024 and aiming to create 3,000 meaningful jobs in remote communities with at least minimum wages and conditions. The second stage will introduce a new remote employment service. The Government specifies that it has extended most CDP providers’ agreements until 30 June 2025 to ensure a smooth transition. In addition, the Government informs that a new specialist Disability Employment Service Programme will commence on 1 July 2025 and will replace the current one.

In reply to the Committee’s previous comments, the Government provides detailed information about the key elements of Workforce Australia which further the achievement and maintenance of full employment and development and use of productive resources. The key elements include targeted services to the diverse needs of jobseekers, jobseeker referral and assessment, jobseeker activation, cohort specialization, engagement with businesses and various programmes and supports for industries and employers. The Government also informs that some employment services are delivered directly by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and other services are delivered by private employment service providers. In May 2024 680,855 persons were registered in Workforce Australia, of whom 346,780 women and 333,645 men. The Government further indicates that the Department of Social Services has responsibility for the delivery of free, specialist employment services and for the funding and overall management of the Disability Employment Services Programme (DESP). This Programme funds 88 organizations to provide employment support to people with physical, intellectual and/or psychiatric disability. The Committee notes that the Programme is delivered nationally from approximately 3,250 metropolitan and regional site locations in 111 employment service areas and in June 2024 over 250,000 people were registered in it (133,079 – men and 124,797 – women). In addition, the Government informs that in June 2024 there were 41,717 participants in the Community Development Programme and the number of employment placements from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024 was 7,881. The Committee welcomes these reforms, which collectively aim to strengthen the inclusiveness and effectiveness of employment services across the country. It requests the Government to provide, in its next report, consolidated information on: (i) the impact and effectiveness of Workforce Australia, RJED and the forthcoming DESP in terms of job placements and employment sustainability; (ii) how outcomes are monitored and evaluated; and (iii) the specific measures taken to ensure equal access to employment services for women, youth, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, persons with disabilities and jobseekers in remote areas. The Committee requests Government to include disaggregated statistics by sex, age, region, and category of jobseeker, as well as data on vacancies notified, applications registered and placements achieved. The Committee further requests the Government to describe the mechanisms in place to ensure policy coherence and coordination among the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Department of Social Services and Jobs and Skills Australia, particularly with respect to the integration of labour-market services, skills training and social-protection measures.

Articles 4 and 5. Consultation and cooperation with the social partners. The Government indicates that Workforce Australia was informed by several years of research, consultation, development design, trials and refinement. In addition, an independent Employment Services Advisory Panel was established in 2018 with members representing the business and community sectors, and with experts on employment and business transformation, presenting their “I Want to Work” report to the Government in October 2018. This report was drafted by extensive consultation held across Australia, including with unions and businesses. The Government also indicates that the Department of Social Services created several reference groups in August 2023 aiming to improve the quality of services delivered to participants for the Disability Employment Services Programme. These groups included primarily DES providers and DES peak bodies with Disability Representative Organizations. The Government also refers to opportunities for consultation with interested stakeholders – employment and disability service providers, people with disability, employers and workers representatives – as part of the transition and implementation of a new specialist Disability Employment Service Programme on 1 July 2025. The Government further informs about the establishment of a new First Nations Reference Group in March 2024 to oversee and advise on the design and implementation of the RJED programme. This Group includes representatives of Indigenous businesses (Supply Nation) and Indigenous workers (First Nations Workers Alliance). The Committee recalls that Article 4 of the Convention requires that the organization and operation of the employment service, as well as the formulation of related policies, be the subject of consultation and cooperation with employers’ and workers’ representatives. It therefore requests the Government to provide information on: (i) how consultation outcomes have influenced the design of Workforce Australia, the RJED Programme and the forthcoming DESP; (ii) whether tripartite consultative mechanisms exist at national or regional levels to advise on employment-service policy and performance; and (iii) the manner in which workers’ and employers’ organizations are represented in these mechanisms, including those relating to Indigenous employment and disability inclusion. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate how it ensures that consultation processes include organizations representing disadvantaged or remote jobseekers, in line with the Convention’s spirit of inclusiveness.

Article 6. Activities of the employment services. The Government informs that Workforce Australia provides a wide range of services to jobseekers depending on their individual needs. The Workforce Australia Online supports participants who are more job-ready, digitally literate and capable of finding work without the assistance of a provider while Workforce Australia Services includes provider-delivered services for participants at higher risk of long-term unemployment. The activities that can be undertaken include Work for the Dole (WFD), career transition assistance, employability skills training, self-employment assistance small business training, foundational English and literacy, and accredited training. The Government states that WFD provides individuals with work-like experiences that benefit or contribute to the community and help them gain skills and confidence. WFD activities are organized into two types: Work for the Dole Placements which involve placing single clients into individual roles within a host organization and Work for the Dole Projects which involve placing groups of clients in community projects developed specifically as a WFD activity. In addition, the WFD activities aim to provide individuals with the opportunity to develop some or all of the 10 competences identified by Jobs and Skills Australia (digital engagement, initiative and innovation, learning, numeracy, oral communication, planning and organizing, problem-solving, reading, teamwork and writing). The Committee, however, notes that the Government does not provide information in reply to its previous comment relating to the annual activity requirements under the WFD. The Committee recalls that the aim of these programmes should be to enhance employability and lead to lasting, freely chosen employment. It therefore requests the Government to provide information on the outcomes of these activities, including the number of participants completing each programme, employment rates six and twelve months after completion, and evaluation findings. It also reiterates its request that the Government clarify whether identical annual activity requirements apply to all jobseekers and, if not, explain the rationale for any distinctions and the measures taken to ensure fairness, transparency and equal treatment.

Article 7. Specific categories of workers. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government on various strategies, programmes and measures to assist specific categories of workers in vulnerable situations, such as persons with disabilities, women and older workers. The Committee refers to its comments on the application of Convention No. 122, where it notes this information, including statistical data. Regarding indigenous pre-release prisoners, the Government refers to the completion on 30 June 2024 of Time to Work Employment Service which was the national, voluntary in-prison pre-employment service for First Nations people. As of 31 March 2024, 1,090 persons participated in this programme. The Government also informs that the 2024–25 budget includes a 76.2 million Australian dollars investment to implement a new voluntary First Nations prison to Employment Programme. The Committee requests the Government to provide updated data on the impact of these measures, including the number of beneficiaries assisted and placed in employment, retention outcomes and employer participation. The Committee requests Government to include disaggregated statistics by sex, age, disability status and Indigenous identity. The Committee also requests the Government to indicate how these initiatives are coordinated with other relevant federal and state programmes to ensure continuity of support for participants. The Committee further asks the Government to provide updated information on the impact of the measures taken to meet the needs of particular categories of jobseekers, including women and persons with disabilities.

Article 8. Special arrangements for young persons. The Government refers to the Transition to Work (TtW) programme, which supports disadvantaged young persons aged 15–21 years who disengaged from work and study and were at risk of long-term unemployment. From July 2022 Workforce Australia includes the TtW programme which has expanded eligibility criteria to 24 years, increased the maximum duration of assistance, and implemented stronger engagement mechanisms to enhance participation, alongside new performance frameworks for contracted providers. The Government informs that 59.8 per cent of participants aged under 25 who exited Workforce Australia (in-person provider) services between 4 July 2022 and 30 June 2023, and 72.8 per cent of participants who exited Workforce Australia Online during the same period, were employed after exiting. The Government also indicates that Youth Advisory Sessions are available to young people in Workforce Australia Online, offering up to three free one-on-one consultations with specialist youth advisers in their local area. In addition, the Government highlights the introduction of a Youth Bonus Wage Subsidy of up to 10,000 dollars (approximately US$6.293) to employers hiring eligible young persons. The Government also refers to two new paid employment initiatives, Work Foundations and RealJobs, Real Wages. The Committee requests the Government to continue providing detailed information on the results of these initiatives, including the number of young people participating, completion and placement rates, quality and duration of employment obtained, and post-programme follow-up measures. It further requests information on how Workforce Australia cooperates with the education and training sectors to facilitate school-to-work transitions and prevent long-term youth unemployment, particularly among First Nations and rural youth.

Article 11. Cooperation between public and private employment agencies. The Committee notes that the provided information does not reply to its previous comment. Recalling that Article 11 requires effective cooperation between public and private employment agencies to ensure a unified and efficient labour-market system, the Committee requests the Government to provide detailed information as available on: (i) the mechanisms established for collaboration and data sharing between Workforce Australia and private recruitment agencies; (ii) coordination arrangements for the referral of jobseekers and vacancies; and (iii) any measures ensuring that such cooperation contributes to transparency, avoids duplication and upholds equal treatment and non-discrimination for jobseekers.