Job Services Australia is the Australian Government's employment services, focused on meeting your needs as a job seeker. Job Services Australia will give you the level of support you need to help you find and keep a job. Your Job Services Australia provider will work with you to determine your goals, current skills and any additional training or support you may need to help you get and keep a job. At your first meeting with Centrelink or your Job Services Australia provider, they will determine the level of help you are eligible to receive and place you into one of four streams of support.
From this point on, your Job Services Australia provider will work with you to develop an Employment Pathway Plan, detailing how they can help you get work. If your circumstances change and you need more help, you can discuss this with your Job Services Australia provider and if necessary move into a stream that offers a higher level of assistance.
You will get assistance that is suited to your particular needs and takes account of your circumstances.
All job seekers are entitled to:
- help with creating or refining your résumé
- access to, and help with, job search facilities
- an assessment of your current skills
- access to training
- regular face-to-face meetings with your Job Services Australia provider
- regular reviews of your circumstances, to make sure you are getting the assistance you need
If you are fully eligible for stream 1 services, you may also be able to access work experience activities.
Streams 2, 3 and 4
Depending on your initial assessment with Centrelink or your Job Services Australia provider, you can move straight into stream 2, 3 or 4. If, however, you were initially placed in a lower stream and your circumstances change, you can discuss this with your Job Services Australia provider and if necessary move into a stream that offers a higher level of assistance at any time.
It is important to note that if your circumstances do change, disclosing additional needs will not remove or interrupt your access to employment services, force you to change Job Services Australia providers or place you on a long waiting list. Job Services Australia’s flexible and responsive design provides you with tailored services and support.
In streams 2, 3 and 4 you will get more intensive services, aimed at helping you with whatever may be stopping you from getting work. Your Job Services Australia provider will make sure that these services match your particular needs and circumstances.
Key components of the stream services
Employment Pathway Plan
Regardless of which stream service you are in, your Job Services Australia provider will work with you to create an Employment Pathway Plan (EPP) that is tailored to your individual needs. This plan will set out the services and training that will help you find and keep a job.
This may include help to:
- search for jobs
- access work experience opportunities
- gain new skills or qualifications
- overcome other barriers to employment.
Centrelink may complete an initial EPP for stream 1 job seekers, which your Job Services Australia provider can update later, based on your individual circumstances. Job Services Australia providers will negotiate EPPs with streams 2, 3 and 4 job seekers in their initial interviews.
Your Job Services Australia provider will regularly update your EPP as your needs change, and will also give you a copy of your plan for your reference.
Employment Pathway Fund
The Employment Pathway Fund (EPF) is a flexible pool of funds available to Job Services Australia providers to purchase a broad range of assistance to help you get the right training and other support to help you find and keep a job. The fund is designed to enable optimum flexibility so that each eligible job seeker receives assistance based on their individual needs and their barriers to employment. So the more help you need, the more help you get.
Some of the types of assistance which may be purchased for you under the EPF could include, but is not limited to:
- training courses
- work related clothing and safety equipment
- short term travel costs
- relocation costs to commence in employment
- other personal support services.
Your Job Services Australia provider will consider your needs and the needs of the other job seekers that are receiving services from them, when they are deciding what to purchase for you through the EPF.
You should talk to your Job Services Australia provider to discuss the best options for you.