Nesa Annual Report 2022-23

Achievements

In 2022-2023 NESA demonstrated its commitment to achieving better outcomes for members through its:
  • Representation on all program specific departmental working and advisory groups/committees on all program specific departmental working and advisory groups/committees.
  • Active engagement in policy and program debate on issues critical to the sector and for Australian job seekers and employers.

Chair’s Report

2022-23 has been a challenging year for our members and sector, but one which has highlighted their enduring strength, resilience and commitment to those experiencing disadvantage in our society.

Of note, we have seen the first full year of implementation for Workforce Australia. Like many new programs, the translation between policy intent and practice has not been without issues. The last year has featured strong advocacy by NESA to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Minister and the parliamentary Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services to ensure a better deal for providers and the job seekers they support. We are confident NESA’s advocacy on behalf of members will result in a more enabling model moving forward which frees up providers to achieve sustainable outcomes for job seekers, better workforce retention and a thriving employment services sector.

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CEO’s Report

As Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once said, ‘there is nothing permanent except change’. I feel both humbled and privileged to be appointed to lead NESA through some of the most significant reforms to employment services in over 30 years.

Our dedicated team at NESA has worked above and beyond the call of duty, to support the best interests of our members and broader employment services sector, job seekers and employers.

While we are a small team, our impact over the last year has been significant, In 2022-23, NESA made ten submissions to government relating to major inquiries and reviews of employment services. We held 20 Special Interest Group meetings with members to ascertain their views on reforms to employment programs and co-design better policy and service delivery solutions, which shaped our advocacy to government.

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Our Representation and Advocacy

NESA continued its strong representation and advocacy of the Australian employment services sector during the 2022 – 2023 year.

Following the election of the Albanese Government in May 2022, NESA continued to engage and strengthen relationships with the new government across portfolio areas relevant to employment, workforce participation, social services and Indigenous Australians.

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Our submissions

Aug 2022 | SUBMISSION

Provisions of the Jobs and Skills Australia Bill 2022 and the Jobs and Skills Australia (National Skills Commissioner Repeal)

Aug 2022 | SUBMISSION

Digital Protections Framework

Sept 2022 | SUBMISSION

Jobs + Skills Summit: Creating More Opportunities for More Australians

Sept 2022 | SUBMISSION

Response to the Reasonable Costs Framework: EST Placement Management Services

Dec 2022 | SUBMISSION

The House Select Committee Inquiry into Workforce Australia Services – ParentsNext

Dec 2022 | SUBMISSION

Treasury – Employment White Paper

Feb 2023 | SUBMISSION

A New Act to Replace the Disability Services Act 1986

Mar 2023 | SUBMISSION

DES Quality Framework Discussion Paper

Apr 2023 | SUBMISSION

The House Select Committee Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services: Workforce Australia

Apr 2023 | SUBMISSION

ANAO Audit of the Establishment of the Workforce Australia Services Panel

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Nesa Annual Report 2022-23

NESA acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the traditional owners of the land throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land and sea. We pay our respects to their culture and to their elders, past, present and emerging.

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Chair’s Report

2022-23 has been a challenging year for our members and sector, but one which has highlighted their enduring strength, resilience and commitment to those experiencing disadvantage in our society.

Of note, we have seen the first full year of implementation for Workforce Australia. Like many new programs, the translation between policy intent and practice has not been without issues. The last year has featured strong advocacy by NESA to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Minister and the parliamentary Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services to ensure a better deal for providers and the job seekers they support.

We are confident NESA’s advocacy on behalf of members will result in a more enabling model moving forward which frees up providers to achieve sustainable outcomes for job seekers, better workforce retention and a thriving employment services sector.

2022-23 has also augured major change for disability employment services. NESA has worked collaboratively with other peak bodies to advocate for a ‘fair go’ compensation package for members adversely impacted by inaccurate performance ratings, to ensure impacted providers access the full range of remedies available to them. Moving forward, NESA will be working closely with government to ensure these errors are not repeated and the future design of Disability Employment Services fully enables those with disability to achieve full social and economic inclusion.

We have also seen major changes in train for our remote Indigenous Community Development Program providers with the rollout of trials across remote Australia and design of a new program underway. NESA has worked proactively with its members and the National Indigenous Australian’s Agency to take the front foot in co-designing a new program informed by the lived experience of on the ground remote community providers and the communities they serve. Into the future, I am confident NESA will continue to represent the real challenges of remote service delivery and real solutions advocated by our members to government.

Like many sectors, the employment services sector is experiencing issues around workforce capability, attraction, and retention. NESA’s professional development arm has ramped up its service offering to ensure our sector is equipped with the support and training it needs to support its workforce and enable them to be ready, willing and able to tackle future challenges. I am pleased to see NESA has also boosted its advocacy to government in this regard, to ensure the ongoing viability of our sector.

Amongst the hive of activity in program reviews, advocacy and co-design throughout the year, the Board managed a seamless leadership transition at the helm of NESA. During a special dinner in Melbourne in April 23, we farewelled NESA’s longstanding CEO, Sally Sinclair, after 22 years of outstanding sector leadership and representation, celebrating her longevity and commitment to the members.

The appointment of our new incoming CEO Kathryn Mandla in April 23 has been very warmly received by all. It is very difficult to replace leaders in a membership organisation, especially a CEO of such tenure; however, to Kath’s credit, she immediately took up the challenge of representing the sector while at the same time meeting with every member to better understand their experience and expectations of NESA into the future. Based on feedback the Board has received to date, Kath’s appointment has had an immediate and positive impact with all our stakeholders and we are excited to work closely with her into the future.

Finally, despite the many challenges and changes of 2023, I am confident our members and sector will go from strength to strength in the years ahead. I pay tribute to the many frontline staff transforming lives every day. Policies and service models will come and go, but your commitment and dedication to serving Australia’s most disadvantaged will prevail and leave an enduring legacy for our nation’s future prosperity and wellbeing.

Matt Little
Chair

CEO’s Report

As Greek philosopher, Heraclitus, once said, ‘there is nothing permanent except change’. I feel both humbled and privileged to be appointed to lead NESA through some of the most significant reforms to employment services in over 30 years.

Our dedicated team at NESA has worked above and beyond the call of duty, to support the best interests of our members and broader employment services sector, job seekers and employers.

While we are a small team, our impact over the last year has been significant, In 2022-23, NESA made ten submissions to government relating to major inquiries and reviews of employment services. We held 20 Special Interest Group meetings with members to ascertain their views on reforms to employment programs and co-design better policy and service delivery solutions, which shaped our advocacy to government.

2022-23, also saw NESA deliver two successful conferences – our annual conference and Practitioners’ conference as well as our Gala annual industry awards. Our professional development program delivered 130 sector webinars and 77 unique training programs to 6,000 frontline staff. We also delivered another successful workforce survey providing valuable information about the nature and changing demographics of the employment services workforce.

In my initial meetings with members, I have been told that members want strong and courageous advocacy from NESA, access to quality professional development opportunities and a seat at the table in co-designing future employment and related support services.

Our remote service providers have told me they want active engagement and advocacy from NESA to represent the challenges of providing services in remote Australia. Most of all, our sector has told me they want to move from a ‘surviving’ sector to a ‘thriving’ sector.

I believe it is time for change – change that is driven by our members and their frontline staff and change that enables the achievement of real impact for disadvantaged Australians seeking to find work and contribute to the economic prosperity of our country.

This change will require a new compact with government and a commitment to genuine partnership based on trust, transparency and mutual respect. The future economic prosperity of Australia lies within the collective wisdom and lived experience of our sector.

As CEO of NESA, I will work hard to ensure the voices of members are heard, amplified and acted upon in the decision-making corridors of government. Moving forward, NESA will seek to ensure future employment service reforms are driven by our members and reflect international best practice.

Kathryn Mandla
CEO

Our Representation and Advocacy

NESA continued its strong representation and advocacy for the Australian employment services sector during the 2022 – 2023 year.

Following the election of the Albanese Government in May 2022, NESA continued to engage and strengthen relationships with the new government across a range of portfolio areas including employment, workforce participation, social services, Indigenous Australians, youth and vocational education and training.

NESA met with Ministers with portfolio responsibilities for Australian employment services including the Hon Linda Burney MP, Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Amanda Rishworth MP, Minister for Social Services and the Hon. Tony Burke MP, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations. Discussion topics included a focus on existing program design, performance and operational arrangements as well as stewardship, future directions and reform agendas.

NESA continues its strong collaboration with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, Department of Social Services and the National Indigenous Australians Agency to promote the perspectives and position of our members including representation on key working groups and committees.

The 2022 – 2023 year saw the new Government establish its machinery of Government arrangements and implementation of its employment policy agenda which included a strong focus on future directions.

The Government commenced development of an Employment White Paper to provide a roadmap to achieve full and inclusive employment with the release of an issues paper in August 2022 and a Job and Skills Summit. NESA was pleased to be among the invited delegates to the Job and Skills Summit. NESA also welcomed the opportunity to prepare a submission on the Employment White Paper and to discuss our positions in briefings with the Treasury Employment Taskforce. The Employment White Paper is due to be released in October 2023.

The Government also initiated a House Select Committee Inquiry into Workforce Australia Employment Services on 2 August 2022. This Inquiry is undertaking a first-principles review of the Workforce Australia employment services system with the ultimate objective of ensuring Commonwealth funded employment services are fit-for-purpose, providing advice to the Government regarding the future principles and design of employment services to ensure it does better for unemployed Australians and business. During the 2022-2023 year, NESA prepared two submissions to the Inquiry with one focused on the ParentsNext program and one on Workforce Australia Services. By the end of June 2023, NESA had appeared as a witness at two public hearings conducted by the Committee. An Interim Report was released by the Committee in February 2023, containing 49 citations to NESA submissions and evidence and recommendations largely consistent with the policy positions put forward on behalf of members. The final report of the Select Committee Inquiry is expected to be delivered in November 2023.

While work on shaping the future of employment services was intensive during the period NESA continued to provide representation in relation to current arrangements. NESA worked collaboratively with representatives from Departments of Employment and Workplace Relations, Social Services and the National Indigenous Australians Agency in relation to existing programs and services including advocacy for enhancements in relation to:

  • Workforce Australia for Providers – Reports and Functionality
  • Workforce Australia for Individuals
  • Workforce Australia Performance Framework
  • Disability Employment Services Performance Framework
  • Disability Employment Services Formal Assessment Process
  • Disability Employment Services Star Rating coding error and compensation of providers
  • Administrative burden – All programs
  • Management of Challenging Behaviours and Critical Incidents
  • Employment Services Assessments
  • Employability Skills Training – Placement Management Services
  • Participant referral and engagement – ParentsNext, TtW, EST, CTA & DES
Nesa Annual Report 2022-23