Trialling better supports for Workforce Australia participants

The Australian Government is undertaking service improvement trials for Workforce Australia Online to better meet the needs of the people that use them.

I am pleased to announce that a key trial is now underway to test whether people using Workforce Australia Online services have better employment outcomes if they use voluntary one-on-one coaching sessions.

People in Workforce Australia Online currently self-manage their own pathway to employment. The trial enables some participants to engage voluntarily with one-on-one additional supports. 

We are taking the same rigorous approach used in testing new medical treatments, which is a randomised methodology, where a group of people are selected, and some are randomly given the opportunity to engage with the sessions.

Voluntary one-on-one sessions, including coaching, are provided by employment services officers and career coaches from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, based in locations around Australia. 

People in the trial will work with career coaches to explore their career options, determine their employment goals, and develop effective actions to achieve them.

The trial is developing evidence for what works in employment services, reflecting the Government’s commitment to evidence-based continuous improvement, and strong public sector stewardship as outlined in the White Paper on Jobs and Opportunities.

Employment services need to provide appropriate servicing options that are better aligned to people’s needs and circumstances. We know that a one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work.

That is why we are delivering ambitious reforms to employment services, as outlined in the Government’s response to the Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services.

The trial has been designed in partnership with the Australian Centre for Evaluation at Treasury and is subject to a robust ethical framework, including through an independent ethics review process.