CEO’s Report

At the end of 2019-20, Australia’s unemployment rate was sitting at 7.4 percent – the highest in Australia since November 1998, now more than ever the work that our members do and NESA’s advocacy and representation on behalf of the sector is critical in supporting Australia’s economic recovery.

In a year of great challenge and adversity NESA advocated for support and stability to enable our sector to continue to support vulnerable job seekers, many of whom did not anticipate finding themselves as part of the 1.4 million unemployed Australians.

Throughout the Bushfire Crisis and COVID-19 Pandemic, NESA worked tirelessly to keep members informed of the dynamic situations as they unfolded and continued to work with the departments to address and seek immediate solutions on key issues and priorities as they arose. NESA also continued to work closely with Ministers, senior departmental executives and key stakeholders across relevant portfolios to ensure real measures were implemented to support members through COVID-19 and during the post-recovery phase.

Following vital advocacy NESA achieved key outcomes to support our sector, these included financial investment and viability measures for jobactive, DES and CDP, necessary IT enhancements, improved communication mechanisms and the adoption of key recommendations to support the recommencement of the CDP servicing model. NESA also collaborated with relevant peak bodies to stress to government the urgency and importance of retaining the sustainability of our sector at this critical point in time.

As we continue to work towards a new normal, the future of Employment Services has also been a central focus, particularly following the accelerated implementation of the Online Employment Service. NESA continues to strongly advocate the need for personal services for all job seekers and those cohorts at higher risk of becoming further disenfranchised. Now is the time for investment in appropriate supports for all Australians.

Whilst much of our attention held a national focus, NESA continued to collaborate and communicate with our international counterparts. The NESA OECD Working Communities Congress – Indigenous Employment Forum was well received, with delegates sharing international lessons and practices on Indigenous employment and the findings from the OECD’s Review of Local Job Creation – Indigenous Employment and Skills Strategies Australia were released at the forum.

The critical work NESA Solutions Ltd does in improving the health and wellbeing of communities in remote Australia through the delivery of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mental Health First Aid Project continued. As face-to-face training temporarily ceased due to COVID-19, specific online training modules were developed to ensure this vital work and support continued. NESA Solutions Ltd was also successful in obtaining funding to develop and deliver an Indigenous financial literacy pilot project Indigenous Money Health across ten targeted communities.

Over the next 12 months NESA remains committed to be the voice on behalf of the sector. We will continue to engage and strengthen our relationships with government, the opposition, key stakeholders and the business community. We will also remain focused on championing the future of sector. In the lead up to 2022 it is imperative that the design and landscape of our future services are strategic, fit-for-purpose, complementary and achieve the best possible outcomes for all Australians.

I’d like to thank our Chair Matt Little and NESA’s Board of Directors for their leadership and for setting a strong governance framework that supports the achievement of the organisation’s goals and objectives. I’d also like to acknowledge Rowena McNally’s contribution to NESA as the previous Chair.

On behalf of myself and my dedicated team, thank you for your continued support.

The strength of our sector is in its capacity to be agile and resilient particularly during times of change which means we are uniquely placed to move forward into the next phase of employment services and meet any challenges that may arise.

We look forward to working with you over the coming year to achieve our shared vision of opportunity for everyone through employment and inclusion.

Sally Sinclair CEO