Our voice is strong

Our Voice is Strong

NESA is the voice of the sector providing advocacy and representation to ensure Australian job seekers and employers have access to effective labour market assistance.

Sector Advocacy

NESA used broad and extensive channels of influence to promote an understanding and appreciation of the sector, and to progress the improvement of labour market policy, programs, and interventions for the broader employment services framework.

Responses and formal submissions

to Government

NESA used solid evidence-based intelligence in our submissions on behalf of members and the sector

  • Victorian Government’s Inquiry into Sustainable Employment for Disadvantaged Job Seekers
  • Draft Regulations for Victorian Long Service Leave Benefits Portability Scheme
  • The Australian National Audit’s Office’s Audit of Management of Contracts for Disability Employment Services
  • Social Security (Administration) Amendment (Income Management to Cashless Debit Card Transition) Bill 2019
  • Inquiry into the Adequacy of Newstart and Related Payments and Alternative Mechanisms to Determine the Level of Income Support Payments
  • Australia Non-Government Programs Feedback
  • The Development of a Digital Literacy Framework within the Australian Core Skills Framework
  • Productivity Commission Inquiry into the Role of Mental Health to Support Economic Participation, and Enhancing Productivity and Economic Growth
  • Select Committee on COVID-19
  • The Australian Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic Senate Inquiry

Invitation to appear

before a Senate Inquiry resulted from NESA submissions enabling us to further advance the sector’s position on the matters at hand:

  • Parliament of Victoria, Legislative Assembly Economy and Infrastructure Committee’s Inquiry into Sustainable Employment for Disadvantaged Job Seekers.

Representing the sector

Advisory bodies and working groups

  • New Employment Services Reference Group
  • New Employment Services Trial Reference Group
  • Disability Employment Services Reference Group
  • NDIS Advisory Group on Market Oversight
  • National Disability and Carers Advisory Council (NDCAC)
  • NDCAC Employment Group – Appointed Chair
  • IT Advisory Group
  • VET Stakeholder Committee
  • jobactive Operations and Practice Advisory Group
  • jobactive Operations and Practice Advisory Group – Bushfire Contingency
  • Jobs Victoria Conference
  • Innovators Forum API Workshop
  • Servicing Challenging Behaviours Workshop
  • ParentsNext Stakeholder Working Group
  • National Disability Information Gateway Workshop
  • Education and Employment Sector Pandemic Preparedness Meetings
  • National jobactive Forum
  • ParentsNext Forum
  • Youth Taskforce Consultation
  • NDIS Launch of Participant Employment Strategy

Sector Networks

NESA worked extensively with other influential bodies, developing shared understanding and opportunities for collaboration to enhance the critical work that the employment services sector does.

These networks also provided intelligence for policy positions and strategic approaches to strengthen the effective delivery of labour market assistance and social policy.

Click across to see examples of some of the key stakeholders, networks and initiatives NESA liaised with during 2019-2020 on behalf of members.

  • Developed a proposal an Australian National Disability Employment Plan and a national community awareness campaign in partnership with DEA
  • NDIS Participant Employment Taskforce’s Strategy
  • The Productivity Commission’s Mental Health inquiry
  • The design and establishment of Victorian Government’s JobsBank
  • Australian Red Cross Steering Committee’s Employment Justice Project
  • Whereto Research Consulting regarding the Job Seeker Digital Literacy Assessment
  • Federation of Ethnic Communities Council of Australia
  • TAFE Directors Australia
  • The National Australian Apprenticeship Association
  • Australian Council for Private Education and Training
  • Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Business Council of Australia
  • Australian Rehabilitation Providers Association
  • NOUS Group regarding the NIAA’s Investment Strategy for Indigenous Employment
  • Department of Health’s Youth Taskforce Consultation
  • NESA, the University of Melbourne and WCIG (in partnership) were awarded the 2019 Linkages Projects Outcome (Intake 3) project grant. The new digital governance of welfare to work project aims to analyse the implementation of a ‘digital first’ employment services system, its effects on frontline services and governance and its potential for policy learning
  • Mental Health Australia
  • Good Shepherd Microfinance
  • Community for Economic Development of Australia
  • Financial Inclusion Action Plan Advisory Group
  • Australian Institute of Health and Welfare
  • Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
  • Australian Research Council’s Linkage Project – Working Well, Working Wisely
  • The National NEIS Association
  • University of Melbourne
  • Orygen
  • Brotherhood of St Laurence
  • Australian Health Benefits of Good Work Signatory Steering Group
  • National Disability Insurance Agency
  • NDIS Local Area Coordinators

Influential Advocacy

and Member Engagement

Keeping members informed

Newsletters

Our communications team maintain five regular electronic communications:

Leadership Bulletin

The Leadership Bulletin from the desk of NESA CEO Sally Sinclair, goes to members’ leadership teams, to keep organisational management informed of high level policy and operational issues as well as NESA advocacy, representation and initiatives.

Job Matters

Job Matters is our public fortnightly media, reports and published research roundup. It is also a forum for our industry partners to keep in touch with our readership.

Capability Matters

Capability Matters is our public fortnightly Professional Development calendar, highlighting our ever evolving range of capacity-building workshops, coaching programs and webinars.

NESA Professional Development E-Newsletter displayed on mobile tablet and mobile phone

Professional Development

Targeted Professional Development bulletins, which are public announcements of up-coming capacity-building opportunities.

Industry Events

Industry Events announcements, in which we let our public readership know about sector relevant events that NESA is organising.

To sign up for our public newsletters, click here

Our website

nesa.com.au is the hub of our public outreach, and details all of NESA’s activities, structure, publications and contact details. It is a constantly evolving showcase of all our activities, media appearances and includes member-exclusive areas containing policy documents and submissions.

Social media

Our communications team is also active on social media, making regular updates on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Facebook Reach

235,935

144 Posts | 389 Clicks | 967 Engagements

Twitter Followers

1,316

144 Posts | 192 Clicks | 245 Likes

National Promotion

NESA used multiple channels to promote better understanding and appreciation of Australian employment services through

Stakeholder Engagement

Media Coverage

Social Media

Speaking Engagements

Click here to view NESA’s media appearances

International Promotion

The Australian employment services sector continues to inspire governments and employment services bodies throughout the world.

NESA’s work on the international front:

  • Raises the profile of Australian employment services and service providers in the global arena
  • Strengthens the position of the sector both at home and abroad
  • Keeps the international eye on our achievements and successes
  • Keeps the political value of the sector high
  • Provides direct opportunities for some of our members to access and develop services in international markets.

Overseas presentations

By NESA CEO Sally Sinclair

OECD LEED Forum, Antwerp, Belgium, 10-11 December 2019
Right skills, right jobs, right places

The 2019 annual gathering of the Forum brought together over 300 local development practitioners, entrepreneurs and social innovators. Participants gained insights on:

  • How the skills needs of firms (especially SMEs) are changing due to automation and digitalisation
  • How regions and cities promote lifelong learning and engage those who are either unemployed or not seeking employment
  • How social innovation helps to advance local development opportunities while building sustainable and enabling labour markets

Sally Sinclair, CEO NESA moderated an interactive workshop discussing the use of AI and other digital tools to match people to jobs.

International

Delegations

Korea Employment Information Service (KEIS) (November 2019)

NESA received a delegation from KEIS, meeting with NESA and member organisations in Melbourne and Sydney to gain a deeper understanding and expand their knowledge of Australia’s employment services system. KEIS intend to set up a comprehensive quality management framework for Korea’s employment services and were strongly interested in the Australian Government’s Quality Assurance Framework (QAF), in particular Quality Principles and Quality Standards managed by the Department of Education, Skills and Employment.

Minister Of Employment and Labor, KOREA (December 2019)

NESA received a delegation from the Korean Minister of Employment and Labor to further their research on the current situation of employment services in Australia. The delegation was particularly interested in meeting with Australian employment services providers so they could gain a better understanding of how Australia’s employment services operates. This intelligence was then used in their comparative analysis of Australian and Korean employment services and labour markets.

Swedish Committee on the Labour Market of the Swedish Parliament (December 2019)

NESA hosted a meeting with the Swedish Committee on the Labour Market of the Swedish Parliament during their visit to Australia in December 2019. The purpose of the Committee’s visit was to study Australia’s labour market policy with a special focus on Australia’s current and historical employment services models and how integration and gender equality is incorporated into Australia’s labour market policy.

Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (February 2020)

Sally Sinclair, CEO NESA presented a virtual introduction to Australia’s employment services for the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. Tor Hatelvoll , Labour market economist for the Employer Policy Division and fellow colleagues discussed the Association’s work with labour market policy and regional policy.