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Initiatives targeting Recommendation 23CommonwealthJobs Pathways Programme (JPP) The Jobs Pathway Programme assists young people aged between 15-19 who intend to make the transition from school to work, further education or training within the following 12 months. JPP service providers are contracted by the Commonwealth to provide a range of services to eligible young people. Target group: The Programme specifically targets assistance to young people in one or more of the following groups:
Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Responsible agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Website: www.dest.gov.au Career and Transition (CATS) Pilots During the 2002 school year, twenty three Career and Transition Pilot (CATS) projects across Australia are exploring methodologies for and testing ways to enhance career and transition support to young people aged 13-19 years. The pilot projects will offer improved career and transition information, support, guidance and advice and will include the development of individual learning pathways plans focusing on young peoples transitions through school and from school to further education, training and work, prepared with the support of dedicated Transition Advisors. Local partnerships between schools, the community, government and industry as well as links with families are an integral part of these projects. The CAT projects have been developed as part of the Government's response to the Youth Pathways Action Plan Taskforce's Report Footprints to the Future, in particular to recommendations 4,5 and 6. The Career and Transition (CAT) Pilots contain four major components:
Target Group: Young people aged 13-19 Geographical Coverage: 23 projects will operate across a variety if setting in metropolitan, regional and remote areas of Australia. Timeframe: 12 months from April 2002 Contact details: Responsible agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Website: www.dest.gov.au Career Counselling Programme The purpose of the Career Counselling Programme is to help people establish or redefine their employment, education and training goals and develop career management, research and decision making skills, against a background of self knowledge and a realistic understanding of the world of work. Job seekers who are having trouble deciding what they want in a career and needing direction--whether it is deciding on a course of study, upgrading their existing skills or just finding the right job--can receive assistance through Career Counselling. Career counselling involves attending a group counselling session and/or an individual counselling session with professional counsellors, informed about labour market opportunities, taking a pro-active approach in assisting unemployed people through a range of activities which can include:
Target Group:
Geographical Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Initiative Website address: http://www.centrelink.gov.au/internet/internet.nsf/services/career_counselling.htm Responsible agency: Department of Education, Science and Training New Apprenticeships A New Apprenticeship is an apprenticeship or traineeship which offers new training flexibilities, new support service arrangements and opportunities in more industries than before. New Apprenticeships can cover full or part-time work. The part-time arrangements are also available to school students. New Apprenticeships involve a combination of paid work and structured training and must be underpinned by a training agreement which is registered with the relevant State/Territory Training Authority. New Apprenticeships Centres are a support service established by the Commonwealth Government. They provide information on New Apprenticeships to employers, New Apprentices and other interested parties. They also administer the Commonwealth incentives payments. These incentives are aimed at increasing New Apprenticeships opportunities by supporting employers in the public, private and community sectors to offer ongoing employment and structured training opportunities to New Apprentices. Target Group: Many New Apprentices are young people, some starting at school, however, adults can be trained under the New Apprenticeships programme. Geographical Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Initiative Website address: http://www.newapprenticeships.gov.au/ Responsible agency: Department of Education, Science and Training New Apprenticeships Access Programme (NAAP) NAAP works with job seekers who experience barriers to employment, by providing pre-vocational training, support and assistance. The programme helps clients obtain and successfully participate in a New Apprenticeship. NAAP provides formal training followed by a two month job search period in which participants are assisted to find a New Apprenticeship or general employment. NAAP is administered, on behalf of the Commonwealth, by State/Territory Training Authorities, Group Training Australia, and a number of direct providers. Target group: Over 70 per cent of participants are aged 14-24 years. To be eligible for NAAP, participants must meet the following key criteria:
Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact information: Website: www.naap.dest.gov.au Responsible agency: Department of Education, Science and Training Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) Indigenous Education and Employment Project Through the provision of Structure Workplace Learning placements, ACCI will provide services to improve the education and training participation outcomes of Indigenous youth aged over 14 years. Target Group: Indigenous young people aged over 14 years Coverage: National Timeframe: June 2000 to May 2003 Contact: Branch Manager Indigenous Policy Development and Co-ordination Branch Ph: (02) 6240 7720 Website: www.ieep.com.au Responsible Agency: Department of Education, Science and Training ECEF - National Geographic Coverage The Enterprise and Career Foundation will extend its Work-placement Coordinator arrangements into remote areas of central and northern Australia, ensuring national coverage. The Work-placement Coordinator activities involve promoting partnerships between industry and education at the local level in order to offer students structured work-place learning placements. Target Group: Young people in remote areas, Indigenous young people Coverage: Northern and Central Australia Timeframe: July 2001 to June 2005 Contact: Director Enterprise Partnerships Section Enterprise and Career Education Branch Ph: (02) 6240 8898 Responsible Agency: Department of Education, Science and Training through the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation Website: http://www.ecef.com.au/ Job Placement, Employment and Training Programme (JPET) JPET provides a holistic approach to assisting young people overcome problems preventing them from maintaining stable accommodation and entering into full-time education, training or employment. JPET offers ongoing support and referral services to young people to help them overcome a range of problems, including housing, substance abuse, family difficulties, sexual or other abuse, lack of self esteem, income support, and other barriers to employment, education or training. The most common strategies implemented across all target groups were personal support, job search assistance and training assistance. Income advocacy and financial assistance were also common strategies; Target Group: JPET assists students and unemployed young people between 15-21 years who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless (with priority to be given to those aged 15-19 and to homeless young people). Assistance is also provided to young people who are/or have been wards of the State, are refugees or have been in the juvenile justice system. Coverage: 136 agencies are contracted to deliver services throughout Australia Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: http://jpet.facs.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Personal Support Programme The Personal Support Programme will provide funding to assist people who have multiple barriers to employment. The new programme will replace and expand the Community Support Programme (CSP) that is administered through the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. The Personal Support Programme will provide assistance to the most vulnerable job seekers, including people with barriers such as homelessness, drug and alcohol problems, psychological disorders and domestic violence problems. Centrelink will refer people with significant non-vocational employment barriers to service providers funded under the programme. Service providers will provide them with assistance or link them to other government or community organisations that provide the sorts of help they need. By 2004-2005 the new programme will be assisting 45,000 people. The new programme will help people to stabilise their circumstances and enable them to achieve outcomes that match their abilities and capacity. These will include social as well as economic outcomes. Participants will have up to two years of support and assistance in the Personal Support Programme. For many participants, an appropriate outcome will be to transfer to Intensive Assistance to get help to find work. Others will undertake study or training or volunteer activities. For others with more severe barriers, the Personal Support Programme will help them to address their personal barriers (e.g., find stable accommodation, attend drug or alcohol or other counselling services) and increase their involvement in the community. Target Group: People with non-vocational barriers to employment such as homelessness, drug and alcohol problems, psychological disorders and domestic violence problems. Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.together.gov.au/PSP/Default.asp Responsible Agency: Family and Community Services Australians Working Together Australians Working Together - Helping people to move forward is a major package of initiatives offering significant support and services to help people to help themselves. Young job seekers will benefit from many Australians Working Together (AWT) initiatives announced in the 2001-02 Budget. Young people will also benefit from the improvements to employment services under AWT. AWT builds on the Government's employment assistance and mutual obligation policies that have attracted widespread support amongst participants and the broader community. The new system is providing improved personalised assessment and service, more opportunities for training and work experience, better incentives, and reasonable requirements for people to find work, increase their earnings or contribute to their communities. Centrelink will be the gateway to the new system. Centrelink Personal Advisers will provide a high level of service to people needing additional help to overcome personal or other barriers. Under AWT young people will have access to more places in Literacy and Numeracy Training, Job Search Training, and Work for the Dole and can earn Training Credits by participating in Work for the Dole and Community Work. Vulnerable and at risk young people will benefit from the better assessment processes in Intensive Assistance and the linkages between Intensive Assistance and other programmes. Young people will also benefit from other initiatives such as the Working Credit (which encourages people on income support to take up full-time, substantial part-time or casual work) and the new Personal Support Programme (designed to help people with problems such as homelessness, and drug and alcohol addiction) that replaces the Community Support Programme. Coverage: National Timeframe: July 2001 - June 2005 Contact details: together@dewrsb.gov.au Initiative Website address: http://www.together.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Shared policy responsibility between Family and Community Services, Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and Department of Education, Science and Training Mutual Obligation Mutual obligation applies to all job seekers who are receiving unemployment payments (Newstart and Youth Allowance (other)). In particular, job seekers aged 18 to 24 years who have been on unemployment payments for 6 months, and those aged 25 to -34 years who have been on unemployment payments for 12 months. From 1 July 2002 all job seekers aged between 18 and 49 years will be required to nominate a mutual obligation activity at the six month point of their unemployment. Since 1 July 2000, job seekers have been required to enter into a Preparing for Work Agreement when they claim unemployment payments. As part of the Preparing for Work Agreement, job seekers are required to nominate which mutual obligation activity they will undertake when they have been unemployed for six months. The list of activities available includes, part-time work, Work for the Dole, and Literacy and Numeracy training. Target Group: Job seekers in receipt of an unemployment payment aged 18 to 34 years (18-49 years from July 2002) Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: Website: www.facs.gov.au Responsible Agency: Shared policy responsibility between Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Department of Family and Community Services and the Department of Education, Science and Training. Job Network is a national network of private, community and government organisations, which have been contracted by the Government to find jobs for unemployed people, particularly those who are long term unemployed. Job Network organisations offer flexible and tailored assistance to job seekers depending on their level of need. Job Network provides five services; Job Matching; Job Search Training; Intensive Assistance; New Enterprise Incentive Scheme; and Project Contracting- Harvest Labour Services". Young people have been given special consideration in the establishment of Job Network. All young people aged 15 to 20 years and registered as unemployed and not in full time education or training, are eligible for assistance from Job Network members, irrespective of whether they are in receipt of income support Target Group: Job seekers Coverage: Around 2000 sites nationally Timeframe: Ongoing Website: www.dewr.gov.au Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Job Network - Intensive Assistance Intensive Assistance provides individually tailored assistance and support to get long term unemployed people, or those at risk of becoming long term unemployed, into jobs. Job Network members have the flexibility to decide with a young person the best form of assistance to get them a job or to assist them to return to education or take up training. This may include the provider using their fees to provide vocational training, language and literacy training or employer incentives such as a wage subsidy or workplace adjustments. Currently, services are provided for between 12 and 15 months depending on the level of job seeker disadvantage, with a provision to negotiate an extension of up to 6 months. From July 2002, under Australians Working Together (AWT), the period of Intensive Assistance will be up to twelve months for all job seekers except those who are referred to Intensive Assistance immediately following participation in the new Personal Support Programme. These job seekers will receive up to 18 months of Intensive Assistance. Job Network members are contracted to provide services to all eligible job seekers including eligible young people (called a "generalist service"). Specialist Intensive Assistance services cater to the needs of a number of different groups. There are three specialist youth providers operating from 11 sites in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia. In general, the focus of Intensive Assistance and its regime of outcome payments is on getting job seekers into employment. However, in line with the government's concern that young people should be encouraged to complete Year 12, Job Network members providing Intensive Assistance are eligible to claim a full outcome payment if they assist a young person 15 to 20 years of age who has not completed Year 12 or equivalent, to complete two semesters of an eligible education or training course. Under Australians Working Together, Intensive Assistance providers will have the flexibility to refer job seekers to beneficial complementary programmes before commencing Intensive Assistance eg, Work for the Dole, the new Personal Support Programme or to Literacy/Numeracy training. Young people form part of many groups, such as parents, Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities and special needs, who have been specifically targeted in AWT. Young people will have access to the same resources as other members of these key target groups, including access to Personal Advisers. Young people, like other unemployed people, will benefit from employment services initiatives contained in Australians Working Together. From 1 July 2002, for example, they will have access to more places in Job Search Training, and if eligible, Training Credits in Work for the Dole and community work. Target Group: Long term unemployed people, or those at risk of becoming long term unemployed. Coverage: Intensive Assistance is offered from more than 1,100 sites nationally Timeframe: Ongoing Website: www.dewr.gov.au Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Australians Working Together - Work for the Dole The main objective of the Work for the Dole programme is to give unemployed people worthwhile work experience opportunities in projects of value to local communities. A secondary objective of the programme is to allow unemployed people to satisfy their mutual obligation in return for their unemployment payments, by giving something back to the community which supports them. The Government's mutual obligation policy encourages more active job search and participation in activities which improve their work skills and habits. Under Australians Working Together there will be an additional 16,500 Work for the Dole places for 2002 to 2005 for job seekers through Community Work Coordinators. Each participant will receive personal training that covers resume development, providing written references and updating job seeker skills in the last week of Work for the Dole. Training credits, of up to $800 are also being introduced for job seekers who meet minimum attendance and participation requirements. Training Credits can be used to pay for vocational training. Target Group: Certain types of job seekers may be required to participate in Work for the Dole, if they are not fulfilling their mutual obligation through other means, for six months in each twelve months that they remain eligible. The following people may be required to participate in Work for the Dole if they are on the full rate of unemployment payments:
From 1 July 2002, for job seekers 18-49 years, Mutual Obligation applies after 6 months on unemployment payments. For 18-39 year olds, Work for the Dole will be mandatory if they do not participate in another Mutual Obligation activity. For job seekers aged 40-49 years, participation in Work for the Dole will be voluntary. Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Website: www.dewr.gov.au Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Indigenous Employment The Indigenous Employment Policy (IEP) was introduced in 1999 in response to concerns about the high indigenous unemployment rate and the particular disadvantage experienced by Indigenous clients in the labour market. There are three main elements to the Indigenous Employment Policy - the Indigenous Employment Programme, the Indigenous Small Business Fund and assistance for indigenous job seekers through Job Network. The Indigenous Employment Programme has a number of elements including, the Corporate Leaders for Indigenous Employment Project, the Structured Training and Employment Projects (STEP), the National Indigenous Cadetship Project and Wage Assistance, that provide flexible financial assistance to employers to assist in achieving sustainable employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians. A particular focus of the policy is to target jobs in the private sector. The IEP makes a positive contribution to getting more Indigenous youth into jobs. Currently, there are no specific participation targets for young Indigenous job seekers in the IEP however, indigenous youth (under 24 years of age) accounted for 49% of placements made under indigenous employment programmes from 1 April 2001 to 30 March 2002. Given the particular demographic profile of Indigenous Australians in which the median age is 19 years (compared to 35 for the total Australian population) the Government is conscious of the emerging issue of increasing demand for targeted employment assistance for indigenous youth. Partnerships between the Departments of Employment and Workplace Relations and Education, Science and Training are of being strengthened to further improve the coordination and delivery of assistance to indigenous youth. Under the Australians Working Together package, indigenous job seekers will get more personalised help from Centrelink, Job Network Members, Community Work Coordinators and other providers. The first Indigenous Employment Centres (IECs), announced as part of Australians Working Together, have commenced operation and more will commence from 1 July 2002. Under this initiative, Community Development Employment Project (CDEP) organisations may be contracted to take on the additional role of IECs, providing further help to indigenous people in areas where job opportunities exist to obtain work. By 2004-05, IECs will have provided job search support, work experience, access to accredited training, and ongoing mentoring and support to up to 10,000 CDEP participants. By working with local employers and Job Network members, the IECs will encourage people to find work and help them retain it. This initiative, developed in consultation with ATSIC, complements the successful IEP. Many existing programmes are being expanded or changed to provide more individual help. There will be greater support for job seekers to work or to take part in their community or to do work experience or training . They will keep more income if they do casual or part-time work. Indigenous job seekers (including young job seekers) in Job Search Training and Intensive Assistance will be able to access a training account to gain work-related skills. Under AWT, there will be more practical ways to promote self-reliance for indigenous people. Target Group: Indigenous job seekers Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Website: www.dewr.gov.au Responsible Agency: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Youth Employment Forums Two Youth Employment Forums were held in April 2002, in part, to address some of the issues raised in the 'Footprints to the Future' report, and also to feed into policy development for the Job Network. The first of the Forums was held on Friday 12 April 2002 in Logan City, Queensland and the second on Friday 19 April in Parramatta, New South Wales. The overall objective of the Forums was to identify and improve the employment outcomes for youth, particularly 15 - 20 year olds. The Forums aimed to increase the linkages between Job Network members and the local community and youth service networks. To this end, the Forums were intended to:
Attendees included local youth, Job Network members, youth intermediaries (such as youth workers, counsellors, School counsellors etc) and relevant local council, State and Commonwealth public servants. Target Group: Youth, Youth intermediaries (such as youth workers, counsellors, School counsellors etc) and relevant local council, State and Commonwealth public servants and Job Network Members. Coverage: Logan City, Queensland; Parramatta, New South Wales Timeframe: April 2002 Website: www.dewr.gov.au Responsible agency: Department of Employment and Workplace Relations A Youth Servicing Strategy for Centrelink The Youth Servicing Strategy for Centrelink has been developed in partnership with the Department of Education, Science and Training; Department of Family and Community Services, Department of Workplace Relations and Centrelink as part of the Government's response to the Footprints to the Future report. The Strategy will respond to: the need for holistic outcomes for young people; breaching; increased participation in education and training; welfare dependency through early intervention strategies; adequate support for youth at risk; and fostering collaborative partnerships within the youth service sector. system. Elements of the Strategy are already being progressed but it is expected that the national implementation of the Strategy will be rolled out to the network from 1 July 2002. Target Group: Youth Coverage: National Timeframe: Ongoing Contact details: National Manager Website: www.centrelink.gov.au/ Responsible Agency: Centrelink
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