Newsletters on APS Employment Barriers: IT Systems & Administrative Challenges

Newsletters Provide Insight on Employment Challenges

Recent newsletters reveal a troubling issue affecting APS employment. A report from Nous Group, costing $400,000, was tabled in Parliament, highlighting that a "clunky" departmental IT system exacerbates administrative burdens on employment services providers.

Effectiveness of Workforce Australia Compared to Jobactive

• Workforce Australia is noted to be more effective than the previous jobactive system.
• Despite this, the transition has increased the administrative burden significantly for providers.
• The review outlines that the current system now demands over 53% of time from employment services staff be allocated to administrative tasks.

Government’s Response to IT Challenges

1. The government has allocated $9.6 million in the 2024-25 budget to enhance the IT framework.
2. Employment services have questioned whether this funding will adequately support job seekers.
3. Concerns over inefficient IT systems are echoed by both providers and employers.

In conclusion, newsletters indicate a critical need for reform in the current employment services system, urging a focus on job seeker support rather than administrative tasks.