Purpose:
To inform WorkFocus Australia about the factors that impact employment retention and career advancement of disadvantaged jobseekers in Australia and to recommend an expansion of the current employee assistance programs for the disabled.
Background:
This report focuses on an ARC Linkage funded study with the Brotherhood of St Laurence on ‘Job Retention and Advancement of Disadvantaged Jobseekers in Australia’ which examined the long-term employment outcomes of particular groups of disadvantaged jobseekers in Australia from mid-2008 to 2011.1 The primary aim was to identify the factors that assist with job retention and advancement of the unemployed and of other jobless groups that have experienced long spells out of the workforce, …show more content…
Since 1 July 2009, Job Services Australia has imparted the Australian Government’s employment assistance services to unemployed job seekers on government income support payments and employers. One of its programs, the JobAccess telephone and online advice service for people with disability, has been provided by our agency since 2006. Additionally, we have monitored government funds like: i) the Department of Social Services’ Employment Assistance Fund that help people with disability and mental health condition to purchase a range of work related modifications and services and ii) the National Disability Employment Initiative (NDEI) funding worth $1.6 million by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) aimed at increasing employment opportunities for people with disability from September 2013 to 30 June …show more content…
The upcoming replacement of Job Services Australia by ‘jobactive’ services on 1 July 2015 to provide practical support and work related training and the beginning of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Queensland in 2016 will create chaos for the service users. In addition to helping our clients with transition to these new services, we also need to collaborate with these service providers to design a more effective system that focuses on employment retention and advancement rather than solely job entry. Weaknesses in the current Australian employment assistance system point to a need to embrace the findings of US and UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) policy trials. The ERA programs implemented in the US, UK, Canada and the rest of Europe demonstrated varying levels of success. They typically include financial incentives, training, in-work support and emergency financial assistance. The most effective ERA programs use a case management model that provides pre and post-employment support, has low case loads, is targeted to the needs of particular groups, provides services outside office hours, focuses on initial placements in good jobs, and has strong links with employers and other support
To inform WorkFocus Australia about the factors that impact employment retention and career advancement of disadvantaged jobseekers in Australia and to recommend an expansion of the current employee assistance programs for the disabled.
Background:
This report focuses on an ARC Linkage funded study with the Brotherhood of St Laurence on ‘Job Retention and Advancement of Disadvantaged Jobseekers in Australia’ which examined the long-term employment outcomes of particular groups of disadvantaged jobseekers in Australia from mid-2008 to 2011.1 The primary aim was to identify the factors that assist with job retention and advancement of the unemployed and of other jobless groups that have experienced long spells out of the workforce, …show more content…
Since 1 July 2009, Job Services Australia has imparted the Australian Government’s employment assistance services to unemployed job seekers on government income support payments and employers. One of its programs, the JobAccess telephone and online advice service for people with disability, has been provided by our agency since 2006. Additionally, we have monitored government funds like: i) the Department of Social Services’ Employment Assistance Fund that help people with disability and mental health condition to purchase a range of work related modifications and services and ii) the National Disability Employment Initiative (NDEI) funding worth $1.6 million by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) aimed at increasing employment opportunities for people with disability from September 2013 to 30 June …show more content…
The upcoming replacement of Job Services Australia by ‘jobactive’ services on 1 July 2015 to provide practical support and work related training and the beginning of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) in Queensland in 2016 will create chaos for the service users. In addition to helping our clients with transition to these new services, we also need to collaborate with these service providers to design a more effective system that focuses on employment retention and advancement rather than solely job entry. Weaknesses in the current Australian employment assistance system point to a need to embrace the findings of US and UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) policy trials. The ERA programs implemented in the US, UK, Canada and the rest of Europe demonstrated varying levels of success. They typically include financial incentives, training, in-work support and emergency financial assistance. The most effective ERA programs use a case management model that provides pre and post-employment support, has low case loads, is targeted to the needs of particular groups, provides services outside office hours, focuses on initial placements in good jobs, and has strong links with employers and other support