More than 4,000 Australians have put their hands up to help shape the future of employment services, highlighting the strong desire for a system that better understands people's experiences and supports them into work.
The Australian Government's Lived Experience Panel has been established as a key part of its once-in-a-generation reform of employment services, ensuring the voices of people who have used the system are at the centre of designing its future.
Over the next 12 months, panel members will draw on their experiences of looking for work and engaging with employment services to help inform the reforms.
Following an assessment process, 156 members were selected for the panel, with 14 chosen to form a dedicated working group that will provide ongoing, detailed views on reform priorities.
The panel, which met for the first time today, will focus on participants' experiences of employment services, including the support that has made a difference, the barriers people have encountered and where the system can do better.
Insights from the panel and working group will play an important role in shaping the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of employment services, alongside consultation with stakeholders, First Nations peoples, experts and the broader community.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Amanda Rishworth:
"The people who have used employment services know better than anyone what it's like to navigate the system, what support works, where the gaps are and what needs to change."
"That's why lived experience isn't an add-on to these reforms. It's at the heart of them."
"More than 4,000 Australians applied to be part of this panel because they want to help build a better system for others. Their willingness to share their experiences is incredibly valuable."
"Good policy starts with listening. If we want employment services that genuinely meet people's needs, we need to hear directly from the people who use them."
"Every Australian's journey to work is different. By listening to people with lived experience, we can better understand the barriers they face and design a more responsive system that helps them find and keep suitable and sustainable work."
"These reforms are about building an employment services system that sees people as individuals, recognises their circumstances and provides support that works to move them into employment."
