19th September 2016
To: Senator Cash, Minister for Employment & Minister for Women
National Customer Service Line (Dept. of Employment)
Dept. of Social Services
Customer Resolution and Referral Services
Re: Registered, Skilled Australian Jobseeker – Now 11 years in Disability Employment Services ‘without’ Adequate Employment Assistance
I would like to know ‘WHO’ in our Australian government and Australian government departments is responsible for Australian and skilled jobseekers left registered in the employment service system year after year without effective resolution and adequate employment assistance.
As a mother of 3 children wishing to support her family and available to work fulltime hours, I have been actively attending Disability Employment Services for now 11 years. To date I am left socially excluded from workforce participation, I am not eligible for government funding to retrain through a basic Cert III traineeship in a new career pathway currently in demand, I am not eligible for government’s Restart program as a mature age Australian jobseeker, are not eligible for Newstart and have no access or eligibility to employment placements, apprenticeships, internships or training programs. I particularly note that a new training program has been implemented for refugees arriving in Australia with paid employment opportunities – http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/09/17/refugee-bricklaying-program-gives-old-skills-new-fit , hence Australian jobseekers are continually discarded and treated like ‘trash’ and given very little or no opportunity to work.
As an Australian mature age jobseeker I am also routinely discriminated against by age, unemployment gaps outside my control, or by disability but again, no-one can assist.
My current employment provider is unable to assist me as a willing jobseeker due to all government exclusions, policies, legislation etc and they have advised me that they have no dealings with the Department of Employment or Social Services as to how to be guided to assist Australian jobseekers who have been socially excluded and long term financially and professionally disadvantaged.
As the Department of Social Services will take no accountability to assist Australian jobseekers that fall under their scope of policies, I would like to know who can assist Australian jobseekers get out of this appauling repeatitive cycle of go nowhere system, and obtain adequate assistance with obtaining meaningful employment.
If employment providers have no service to offer, are continually restricted, understaffed, under resourced and have nothing to discuss which is productive and which works towards an successful outcome, this is not an effective system, 11 years is appauling for any Australian jobseekers still remaining in the system no further ahead then what they were 11 years ago registered.
As every service is non accountable is either impartial, not affiliated, has limited powers, are outside their jurisdiction, overloaded, short staffed, please could you kindly advise Australian jobseekers, who can assist registered Australian jobseekers in Disability Employment Services achieve the outcome as setout in the Disability Guidelines and Deed. What department will assist to prevent and ensure that Australian jobseekers are ‘not’ left in social exclusion from the labour market and who will assist those with basic human rights.
Thank you