Building Australia's Future Workforce
Building Australia’s Future Workforce package, announced in the 2011–12 Federal Budget, is about providing greater opportunities for Australians to develop their skills, train and get into the workforce.
Who does this information apply to?
This applies to:
- unemployed people
- young parents
- jobless families
- young people
- employers
- people with disability
- those with significant barriers to employment and social inclusion.
Building Australia’s Future Workforce
Building Australia’s Future Workforce package:
- rewards work through improved incentives in the tax and transfer system
- provides new opportunities to get people into work through training, education, and improved childcare and employment services
- introduces new requirements for the very long-term unemployed, Disability Support Pensioners, young parents, jobless families and young people
- takes new approaches to address entrenched disadvantage in targeted locations.
We are working with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs to support families, young parents, people with disability and job seekers to develop the skills they need to make a better future for themselves and their families.
Improving education and skill levels across the labour market is a key focus to ensure Australians are equipped with the skills required to thrive in an innovative and sustainable economy.
The Government has also identified ten Local Government Areas where additional assistance will be offered to boost participation and reduce disadvantage.
More information
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website – skills.gov.au
Package components
Job Seekers
- Local Connections to Work
- Connections Interviews
- Job Seeker Workshops
- Wage Subsidy for Very Long Term Unemployed – Wage Connect
- Tougher Obligations for the Very Long Term Unemployed
- Priority Employment Areas initiatives – extensions (Jobs and Skills Expos)
- Changes to the eligibility criteria for Youth Allowance (Other) and Newstart Allowance
- Improved access to the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program
- Parenting Payment for Grandfathered Recipients - remove eligibility when youngest child turns 12 years old with a transitional phase and extend Parenting Payment
- Streamlining services for Job Seekers
- Transition Activities for Early School Leavers
- Supporting Families with Teenagers
- Community Development Employment Projects Program – eligibility for the approved Program of Work supplement
- Better Futures, Local Solutions
Families
- Parenting Payment for Grandfathered Recipients – remove eligibility when youngest child turns 12 years old with a transitional phase and extend Parenting Payment
- Extension of the School Enrolment Attendance measure
- Supporting Families with Teenagers
- Community Development Employment Projects Program – eligibility for the approved Program of Work supplement
- Better Futures, Local Solutions
People with disability
- Wage Subsidy for Very Long Term Unemployed – Wage Connect
- More efficient and accurate Disability Support Pension Assessments
- Disability Support Pension - participation requirements
- Disability Support Pension - allow all recipients to work up to 30 hours per week
- Audit of Disability Support Pension New Claim Assessments
- Community Development Employment Projects Program – eligibility for the approved Program of Work supplement
- Better Futures, Local Solutions


