Workforce Australia

The Keating government's Employment Services Act 1994 established the Employment Service Regulatory Agency (ESRA). According to policy document "Working Nation", ESRA was created to "promote the development of community and private sector case managers and to ensure fair competition between the CES and other agencies." However, the new act created what would later be known as Employment National to take the role here allocated to the CES (Commonwealth Employment Service). At this time the CES delivered almost all federally funded employment services, however over time more and more funding was allocated to ESRA to put out to tender.

The new Howard government elected in 1996 continued Keating's structural reforms. On April 1, 1998, the CES was dissolved, and its remaining employment services were vested with ESRA. Simultaneously, ESRA became known as the Job Network. The delivery of employment services was tendered out to Job Agencies whose primary responsibility was to assist people into work. Most of these Job Agencies were owned by private or charity organisations, however Employment National was a large one owned by the federal government. Employment National was dissolved in 2003, its work given to other Job Agencies.

In 2009, the Rudd government renamed Job Network as Job Services Australia.

The services provided by Job Services Australia differed according to the level of disadvantage of the job seeker, circumstances or the allowance they were receiving from Centrelink. Services include:

• Stream 1 (Limited): Job Services Australia assists in creating an online resume for the purpose of applying for jobs through DEEWR's online Australian JobSearch (AJS) website, and automatically matching the job seeker's knowledge, skills and experience to new jobs that are available.
• Stream 1: This part of the JSA model includes Intensive Activities, where job seekers participate in activities to develop their skills in resume development, application writing, cold canvassing, goal setting, career planning, interview techniques, job search and work experience.
• Stream 2 & 3: These job seekers are experiencing moderate and significant disadvantage (respectively). Job seekers will enter into an Employment Pathway Plan (EPP) which will include activities and assistance aimed at improving the job seekers' employability. The focus will be on addressing the vocational and non-vocational needs of the job seeker.
• Stream 4: These job seekers are assessed as having the most severe levels of disadvantage and may be affected by such things as mental health, disability, homelessness, abuse, drug/alcohol etc. JSA providers will work with the job seeker to address their most pressing issues/barriers first. The aim is to achieve employment, however this may take some time.
• Work Experience: This phase usually begins for a job seeker after 12 months in a particular stream. In the work experience phase, job seekers who are eligible are required to participate in a work experience activity on an annual basis. Work experience activities could include Work for the Dole, Green Corp, Volunteer Work, Part Time Work, Part Time Study, Unpaid Work Experience, Participation in Government Programs or Non-Vocational Activities.

The Abbott government renamed the network jobactive on 1 July 2015.

Employment Service Providers interface with the network through ESSWeb, the Employment Services System.[3]

• Contract 1 1998–2000
• Contract 2 2000–2003
  • Major providers were Mission Australia, The Salvation Army and Wesley Mission[4]
• Contract 3 2003–2006
• Contract 3 Extension 2006–2009
• JSA Deed 2009–2012

Job Services Australia agencies were rated by DEEWR every six months (or milestone) on performance, based on placing clients into work and keeping them employed for 13 and/or 26 weeks. A Star Rating system was used, ranging from one to five stars; five stars indicate the highest level of performance.

The ratings were calculated using a regression model that looked at the number of jobs or outcomes that a site achieved. As the details of the model have not been released, agencies were often unsure what their next rating will be.

Providers can claim further funds by referring jobseekers to their own courses

The peak industry bodies for jobactive members are the National Employment Services Association (NESA) for the for-profit sector, and Jobs Australia, which represents the not-for-profit sector. These bodies represent the needs and wishes of the employment services sector to the Australian Government.

Professional development within the industry was provided by organisations including NESA and others such as Diversity@Work, Duality, Job Services Central and Work Savvy Parents to ensure staff were up to date with policies and procedures..