Wrapup: Jobs and Skills Summit

Advocates vow to keep the government accountable for a range of undertakings made at its Jobs and Skills Summit. But what were they? And what’s happened since? 

The federal government’s long-awaited Jobs and Skills Summit is run and done, but its legacy will live on as advocates vow to hold the government to account on undertakings made at the event.

Did PwD get everything we wanted? No. But did we have a seat at the table? Yes. Was business put on notice that they need to do more to employ PwD? Yes. Does govt. know it must to do more? Yes. Holding them accountable means the #DisabilityCommunity must continue to campaign. 9/

— Elly Desmarchelier (@EDesmarchelier) September 4, 2022

Here’s our round up of the key news and views on the summit.

Government lists its priorities

The government released a list of 36 immediate initiatives from the summit. These include:

• A $1 billion increase in joint federal-state funding for free TAFE in 2023, with 465,000 free TAFE places
• Using $575 in the National Housing Infrastructure Facility to invest in social and affordable housing
• A one-off income credit for age pensioners so that they can earn $4000 extra this financial year without losing their pension
• Increasing the permanent migration program ceiling to 195,000 in 2022-23 to address workforce shortages.

Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury Andrew Leigh told Pro Bono News he was pleased to see people “engaging constructively” with the charities sector at the summit.

He said the commitment to lift the migration cap and improving Australia’s skills base would help address the skills shortage the sector is currently facing.

The focus on prioritising improvements in technology would also benefit charities, he said, by improving productivity.

Leigh also praised the diversity of speakers at the summit and the focus on improving diversity in the wider workforce, including people from CALD background, people with disability and people with lived experience of discrimination.

Do you know more? Were you at the summit? Feel free to share your views by getting in touch on news@probonoaustralia.com.au

People power

Danielle Wood, chief executive of the Grattan Institute, spoke at the conference about the big priorities needed to future-proof Australia. Writing for The Conversation, she said Australia should prioritise investing in education and training to improve the skills of Australians; improving women’s participation in the workforce; and increasing the dynamism and innovation of our economy.

Long-term unemployment

Acting ACOSS CEO Edwina MacDonald said the government needed to focus on lifting workforce participation for the long term unemployed, including people with disability, single parents and First Nations people.

“These are all groups that have been left behind in the labour market. Despite labour shortages they are still missing out on the opportunities presented by low unemployment,” she said.

Asylum seekers

Over the summit, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) issued a call for those seeking asylum in Australia to be allowed to study and work to help fill workforce gaps.

“Securing work rights, study rights and access to mainstream support will not only address critical jobs shortage but also foster secure employment, promote strong wage growth and allow equal opportunity for all women in Australia,” the organisation said in a statement.

People with disability

The federal government committed to develop a memorandum of understanding with the Business Council of Australia to lift workforce participation for people with disability, called the Disability Employment Initiative.

A Visitor Economy Disability Employment pilot will also connect small businesses with people with disability who want to work, and employment will be better embedded into NDIS plans.

But advocate El Gibbs pointed out none of the “very concrete suggestions” put forward by people with disability had been adopted.

I am cranky and disappointed about how little there was in the outcomes of the jobs summit for disabled people to tear down the barriers that exclude us from work. A 🧵. https://t.co/ZQTBdBnnWI

— El Gibbs (@bluntshovels) September 3, 2022

Pensioners

The Combined Pensioners and Superannuants Association said the government’s work credit for pensioners is “very unlikely” to entice pensioners back into the workforce, but would benefit those who are currently working.

Early childhood education and care

Early Childhood Australia’s CEO Samantha Page said it was “encouraging” to hear that early childhood education and care was a priority at the conference.

She said there had been “broad consensus” at the summit that investment in early childhood education could lift workforce participation and provide improved education outcomes and opportunities for children as well.

“Concrete commitments beyond the previously announced measures are missing in the immediate actions published. However, we are optimistic that the strong message underlining the need to strengthen the sector, expressed at the Summit, was heard and that the long-term commitment indicated in the report will translate into appropriate investment at the upcoming federal budget,” Page said.

“ECA will work collaboratively with the Federal Government and other stakeholders to ensure that concrete strategies are in place to build a stable workforce while securing high-quality education outcomes for all children to thrive.”

Rate rise for welfare recipients, but is it enough?

Following the summit, social services minister Amanda Rishworth announced that social security payments would receive an indexation increase in line with the Consumer Price Index to assist with meeting the rising cost of living.

From Tuesday 20 September, the Age Pension, Disability Support Pension and Carer Payment will rise by $38.90 a fortnight for singles and $58.80 a fortnight for couples.

The new maximum rate of pension will increase to $1026.50 a fortnight for singles and $773.80 for each member of a pensioner couple.

The rate of JobSeeker Payment for singles without children will increase by $25.70 a fortnight to $677.20 including the Energy Supplement, while Parenting Payment Single will increase by $35.20 per fortnight to $927.40 including Pension Supplement and Energy Supplement.

Partnered JobSeeker Payment and Parenting Payment recipients will see an increase of $23.40 a fortnight to $616.60 including the Energy Supplement.

“We want to ensure Australia has a strong social security safety net to protect our most disadvantaged,” Rishworth said, reiterating that the government wants to leave no Australian behind.

Acting ACOSS CEO Edwina MacDonald said the lift in JobSeeker from $46 to $48 per day would still leave too many people in poverty.

“We regularly speak to people who cannot eat three meals a day, who cannot afford essential medication and who are in debt with their utility provider because they cannot cover the cost of energy,” she said.

“While an extra $1.80 a day will help, JobSeeker Payment remains grossly inadequate to cover essentials. “

MacDonald said Youth Allowance would not be indexed until January, meaning young people would continue to struggle with rising costs, and said the increase in other payments would not deliver a real increase as it did not bring the rate above inflation.

She called for the federal government to increase JobSeeker, Youth Allowance and related payments in its upcoming budget to address the cost of living crisis for people on the lowest incomes.

“JobSeeker and related payments must be at least $70 a day so that everyone can cover the basics,” she said.

The Antipoverty Centre said the indexation of the payment would offer “no relief” for recipients.

Antipoverty Centre spokesperson and JobSeeker recipient Jay Coonan accused the government of politicising the poverty crisis.

“Poverty is by design and Albanese has committed to keep millions below the poverty line while we face a cost of living crisis.

“They pat themselves on the back for the Jobs Summit “consensus”, but all it means is they agree with the millionaires and billionaires that our lives are worth nothing,” he said.