Employment services for tough times
Louise Ward
Job Futures
Contact Email:   Louise.Wardjobfutures.com.au

Over the next year, unemployment is forecast to grow to 7%. This increase is the most dramatic that Australia has seen since the late 80s/early 90s. However, the Government designed its new employment service delivery model – ‘Jobs Service Australia’ for good times, how well it will perform in the current labour market where we are facing widespread retrenchment and increasing unemployment is unknown. Its ability to provide services to newly retrenched workers and long term unemployed job seekers will be critical to its success.

This paper will explore the impact of this new model on job seekers, both long term unemployed and the newly retrenched. It will discuss ways the system may need to adapt to ensure that newly retrenched workers get the assistance they need – when they need it - and ways to ensure that long term unemployed job seekers are not further disadvantaged and isolated from the labour market.

The paper will draw on focus group studies, which explore the experiences of newly retrenched workers, their needs and their response to the services available. We will also draw on the experience of Job Futures as a provider of employment services for more than 10 years.

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