Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the employment white paper would position Australia to get ahead in a global race to adapt.Source:AAP/Matt Turner
The government has released its jobs blueprint, and it's good news for older Australians and would-be apprentices.
Older Australians will be able to work more hours without hits to their pensions, in a bid to plug gaping skills holes in Australia's economy.
The federal government on Monday released the long-awaited employment white paper, the blueprint for the nation's labour market over the next decade.
It includes doubling the period welfare recipients - including those on the pension, JobSeeker, and Youth Allowance - are entitled to concessions while they look for work, and boosts to TAFE.
Labor says that's designed to head off challenges to be posed by:
§An ageing population
§Increased demand for care services
§The rise of digital technology, including artificial intelligence
§Climate change and a shift to net zero emissions
§Geopolitical risks and tension
Anthony Albanese says the plan will help Australia get ahead in the global economic race.Source:AAP
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese declared on Monday that Australia would be positioned to get ahead in a global race to adapt.
“All of this fits together for how we create an economy that makes more things here, an economy that is more resilient, an economy that's more prosperous, and an economy that lifts up the living standards of its people, he said.
What's predicted for 2033?
The paper says those changes will mean Australia's economy is noticeably different a decade from now.
It tips Australia's digital and technology workforce to grow more than 20 per cent by 2033, and its clean energy workforce by 127 per cent.
The ageing population is also set to result in the care and support economy ballooning by nearly a quarter (22 per cent).
What are the main changes?
The government is looking to bolster the workforce by incentivising pensioners and welfare recipients to get back into work.
That's after criticism the system actually acts as a deterrent to employment, with payments and concessions abruptly ripped away once a person re-enters the workforce.
The work bonus, which allows pensioners to retain more of their pension while employed, will receive a permanent increase, having been temporarily raised last year.
From 1 January, work bonus recipients will now receive a balance of $4,000 immediately, and an additional $7,800 over the year. That means a pensioner will be able to earn $11,800 annually before their pension is impacted.
The government is aiming to get more older Australians back in the workforce.Source:Getty
The government will also double the period income support recipients can receive $0 - to 12 fortnightsfrom six - which will allow them to access benefits, like concession cards, for longer when they re-enter the workforce.
Both changes are subject to legislation passing parliament, and Treasury says combined they'll cost $85 million through to 2026-27.
Council on the Ageing chief executive Corey Irlam said the paper acknowledged systemic ageism was a key reason older Australians were locked out of the workforce.
As we live longer and healthier lives, we need to make sure older people are being given the opportunity to continue to work, or get back into the workforce, if that’s what they choose to do, he said.
What else is in the employment white paper?
TAFE will also receive a $41 million boost, with an aim to double the uptake of higher apprenticeships in key sectors within five years.
The government says they'll focus on three key sectors:
§Australia's net zero transition
§The care economy - including health and aged care
§Digitisation
The funding will help expedite the creation of new TAFE Centres of Excellence, and develop additional apprenticeships.
The white paper also warns the current definition of full employment is too narrow, and does not reflect underemployment and its impacts on the community.
While half a million Australians are currently classified as unemployed - actively looking for work but unable to find it - there is another million who are not working as many hours as they'd like.
The government says it will introduce a new definition, taking into account underutilisation in the economy.
A definition of full employment where anyone who wants a job can find one without having to search for too long is a worthy aim, Committee for Economic Development of Australia chief executive Melinda Cilento said.
“But the Government’s goal of embedding sustained and inclusive full employment as a strategic objective must work with, not against, its goal of making the economy more dynamic and responsive to change.”
The government had previouslyunveiled a so-called skills passport
, looking to connect job-seekers with employers offering jobs requiring specialised skills and training.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/australias-employment-white-paper-explained/muhsh9w59
