The department supports people in Australia to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future.

The employment, skills and workplace relations systems are highly interconnected and traverse key labour market levers. Reflecting the significant scope for complementary action across and between these systems, the department is uniquely positioned to shape Australia’s current and future labour market and to drive productivity, inclusivity, and individual, social and environmental wellbeing. Our department’s programs support the Australian Government’s vision of full and inclusive employment.

We are working collaboratively across governments and with key stakeholders on key government priorities such as reforms to international education, implementing the Australian Universities Accord, employment services reform, the Net Zero transformation and improving women's equality and career opportunities.

Closing the Gap – The department remains committed to overcoming the entrenched inequality faced by First Nations people. In 2024–25 we will continue to embed the Closing the Gap priority reforms into our core functions through our Closing the Gap Strategy. We will implement key initiatives to improve the labour market prospects and outcomes of First Nations people, including a new service to support the transition from prison to work for First Nations people and by extending Broome Employment Services. We are investing in the 4 Priority Reforms outlined in the National Agreement on Closing the Gap. A top priority is working with our First Nations providers and peak organisations to improve our commissioning and service delivery models in order to encourage more First Nations organisations to deliver services on our behalf. We are also working to ensure all our service providers can demonstrate cultural proficiency in working with First Nations people.

Employment services reform – We are advising the government on reforming the employment services system to reflect the vision in the Employment white paper and taking into account the Rebuilding Employment Services report. These reforms will create a more responsive system that actively supports meaningful participation and secure and sustainable employment outcomes, with support designed to fit the needs of the individual.

An immediate priority is implementing changes to the employment services system announced in the 2024–25 Budget. The changes address pressing issues in employment services and are an incremental step towards larger scale reform. This includes better recognising individuals’ circumstances in the mutual obligations required of them, strengthening the mechanisms through which participants can raise concerns and complaints about their employment service provider and trialling more targeted use of wage subsidies. The 2024–25 Budget changes build on the work already underway, including to implement Parent Pathways, a new voluntary pre-employment service for parents, and undertake employment services trials.

Investing in a Future Made in Australia – We are making new investments in our skills and training system so it can continue to address skills shortages and build the strong and highly skilled workforce to deliver what is needed to support the government’s Future Made in Australia agenda. We will use the levers available in our workplace relations, skills and employment systems to support new industries and support communities and regions that are most impacted by the net zero transformation.

Skilling our future workforce – The department continues to work with state and territory governments under the National Skills Agreement to support a strengthened vocational education and training (VET) sector.

We are funding the delivery of 20,000 additional Fee-free TAFE places in 2024–25 and increasing access to pre-apprenticeship programs in courses relevant to the construction sector.

We are supporting apprenticeships in key occupations through a range of financial payments to assist apprentices and employers.

The Australian Apprenticeship Support Services, and the Apprentice Connect Australia provider network, are delivering a range of personalised services and supports to help apprentices and employers over the life of their apprenticeship. This includes making sure apprentices are set up for success from the beginning, through the early identification of potential barriers to completion, and by providing mentoring support services to better meet their needs.

We will also pilot a reimbursement program for small and medium businesses taking on clean energy, construction and manufacturing apprentices through Group Training Organisations.

Women’s equality and opportunities – We are supporting the government’s women’s equality agenda in 2024–25. This includes assisting women to enter well-paid careers through VET pathways and addressing gender segregation by removing barriers to women’s participation in traditionally male occupations. We are also implementing the new voluntary pre-employment service for eligible parents of young children, Parent Pathways.

We are scrutinising employment services program data with a gender lens to identify and better understand whether and how gender impacts on the support and outcomes for women in the system.

Supporting women’s economic equality is a key objective of the government’s Secure Jobs, Better Pay and Closing Loopholes laws. Building on the review of awards in the care sector, in 2024–25, we will lead the government’s participation in the Fair Work Commission’s review of gender undervaluation in priority awards.

Workplace relations and work health and safety laws – We are supporting the implementation of significant recent changes to the workplace relations and work health and safety frameworks arising from the Secure Jobs, Better Pay, Protecting Worker Entitlements and closing loopholes legislative packages, as well as the importation ban on engineered stone. We are consulting with stakeholders to develop relevant guidance, codes of practice and regulations that will support the effective operation of these reforms.

How we work – In implementing measures and programs, the department focuses on public service stewardship and upholding the APS values. All senior leaders in the department are guided by the Secretaries Charter of Leadership behaviours to be Dynamic, be Respectful, have Integrity, Value others, and Empower people. The department is undertaking a program of work to transform how we work, increase capability, and enhance our ability to deliver for the government and the Australian people.

It is crucial that our department reflects the communities we serve. Fostering a truly inclusive workplace, we are committed to supporting gender diversity and to increasing the representation of First Nations people, individuals from cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people with disabilities, including in leadership positions. The department is prioritising embedding the Strategic Commissioning Framework in our practice and reducing our reliance on external labour.

Leveraging data – We are leveraging data and technology to strengthen the evidence base that supports skills on employment and workplace relations activities. The Chief Data Officer, working with the Data Governance Committee, will continue to implement the department’s Data Strategy 2024–27 priorities, build on our data governance foundations, enhance our data capabilities and integrate our data with other government data assets to provide a much richer source of insights and analysis.

Through the Chief Data Officer, we will continue engaging across government to influence the direction of whole-of-government data initiatives, including Governance of Indigenous Data, the Disability Strategy and the Women’s Economic Agenda.

Statement of preparation

As the Accountable Authority of the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, I present the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations Corporate Plan for the reporting period 2024–25, which covers the period 2024–25 to 2027–28 as required under section 35(1)(b) of the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 (PGPA Act).

Natalie James

Secretary

August 2024

As stewards of the labour market, we operate at the intersection of economic and social policy. Our operating environment presents challenges and opportunities for the department to progress our work of supporting people in Australia to have safe, secure and well-paid work with the skills for a sustainable future.

The outlook continues to present challenges and opportunities

Social exclusion, economic vulnerability, and inequality continue to present barriers to people finding decent work and building their human capital.

The 2024–25 Budget outlook for Australia’s economy was for subdued growth over the forecast period. Economic growth has slowed in Australia and many other advanced economies, in response to elevated inflation, disruptions to supply chains, and higher interest rates.

While Australians have experienced significant increases in the cost of living, inflation has now moderated. The costs of housing, particularly rental pressures, remain high but are expected to ease gradually.

The labour market has been resilient, with unemployment near its historical low and the participation rate near its record high. While unemployment is expected to remain low by historical standards, the labour market has softened and will continue to do so. There are some groups that have employment rates well below the national average, including First Nations people, people with disability, single mothers, and migrants from particular regions. There are also significant differences between regional labour markets. The persistently high unemployment experienced in some remote and regional areas, especially in northern Australia, is exacerbated by limited employment options, the lack of support services, and entrenched disadvantage, as noted in Working Future: The Australian Government’s White Paper on Jobs and Opportunities.

Nominal wages growth has been the fastest in nearly 15 years, driven by the recent strength in the labour market and by administered wage decisions, including the Fair Work Commission’s annual wage reviews and the aged care work value case. Administered wage decisions are expected to continue to support wages growth in the near term, and the government has announced funding for a 15% wage increase for early childhood education and care workers. Real wages growth has returned and is expected to continue across the Budget forecast horizon. The government has made wages growth a priority, balancing improvements in conditions with reforms to support wage increases.

The gender pay gap has encouragingly narrowed to an historical low. Women continue to work more part-time hours than men and are more likely than men to be engaged on a casual basis, be on minimum and award wages, and have caring responsibilities. The department will lead the government’s participation in the Fair Work Commission’s review of gender undervaluation in priority awards.

Australia’s commitment to reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, and the government’s commitment to 82% renewable energy by 2030, are transforming our economy and impacting workers, industries and communities. The use of artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming more prevalent and has further implications for the labour market and skills acquisition. Many Australians have changed where and how they work, with more engaged in hybrid and remote work since the disruptions of COVID-19.

Net overseas migration is forecast to approximately halve in 2024–25 relative to 2022–23, as at the 2024–25 Budget. This reduction is partly driven by government actions under the Migration Strategy, which include improvements to the integrity, standing and reputation of Australia’s VET sector.

We are responding to this environment by prioritising being evidence-based, and engaging with experts and those who are impacted by our policies and programs. Focusing on evidence and on-the-ground experience enables us to develop policies and programs that are appropriately flexible and integrated so that they can respond to evolving, persistent and emerging labour market challenges.

Supporting the government to respond to key priorities

Working Future: The Australian Government’s White Paper on Jobs and Opportunities outlines the government’s vision for a stronger, fairer and more inclusive economy, including employment services reform. Based on these principles, the department will support the government to create a responsive employment services system that actively promotes meaningful participation and secure and sustainable employment of people, as well as meeting the workforce needs of employers and industry. This includes building and embedding more active APS stewardship in the employment services system, alongside a range of providers and delivery partners. We will focus on a greater role for community organisations such as social enterprises and First Nations community-controlled organisations. These priorities reflect the government’s response to the final report of the House of Representatives Select Committee on Workforce Australia Employment Services.

In February 2024, the Productivity Commission delivered its first report on the first review of the National Agreement on Closing the Gap, which concluded that progress has fallen short of expectations. It found that governments have not grasped the scale of change required to meet the commitments in the national agreement, and that greater ambition and effort are required. This plan details the department’s commitment to Closing the Gap.

The government has commissioned the Strategic Review of the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System to ensure that incentives and other non-financial support for apprenticeships are designed to optimise completion rates and address skill shortages to provide the skilled workers needed for Australia’s growing economy. The report of the review is expected to be delivered to the government in late 2024.

The Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme sits at the intersection of multiple government objectives. It is central to migration reform and Australia’s foreign policy efforts in the Pacific and Timor-Leste. It also supports the government’s measures to address the unskilled, low-skilled and semi-skilled workforce shortages in agriculture, and food and fibre processing nationally and in rural and regional parts of Australia in a range of sectors. APS systems and processes will facilitate transparency and accountability and will drive business improvements.

On 11 June 2024, the Public Service Amendment Act 2024 received Royal Assent. The Act provides for changes to build the capability and expertise of the APS and strengthen the APS’s core values, including a new value of APS stewardship.

The department is focused on delivering programs, services and advice to meet the expectations of the government and the Australian people, underpinned by a framework and culture of integrity. This includes embedding the Strategic Commissioning Framework in our operating model while at the same time continuing to increase our economic and data capabilities to enhance our ability to deliver our programs and services.

The department responds to integrity matters rigorously. We proactively encourage staff, providers and members of the public to report all integrity issues, such as matters relating to fraud and corruption. Reports can be submitted through our electronic reporting tool, which enables informants to engage in ongoing, anonymous dialogue with investigators.

The department will continue to monitor and improve its integrity policies, processes and frameworks.

The department’s corporate strategies, plans, frameworks and operations are central to our ability to undertake our key activities and achieve our purpose. This includes supporting our ministers, our people and the Australian public by effectively and efficiently managing:

• resources, including people, infrastructure and finances
• information, communications and digital technologies and solutions
• security, legal, risk, integrity and assurance matters
• research, analysis and data.

We are transforming our corporate capabilities to improve how we deliver on our purpose. We make connections across the department and partner with policy and program areas to help them develop and deliver integrated policy and services. 

In addition to supporting the department, we provide core ICT services to 8 partner agencies. We also support several partner agencies in the design, build and maintenance of client-facing digital systems.

People

We strive to lead the way in cultivating a safe, secure and capable workforce. Our people are core to our successful delivery of government priorities that enrich Australian communities.

Our People Strategy 2024–27 sets out our vision for an inclusive, curious, collaborative, adaptable and high-performing workforce. The strategy organises our initiatives to attract, grow and retain talent across 4 people pillars:

Our Strategic Workforce Plan 2023–26 defines our workforces of today and tomorrow and maps the road between them. The department’s outcomes and expectations are being shaped by political, economic, social and technological shifts at pace and scale. 

While the current pace of change is the fastest ever experienced, it is likely to be the slowest we will experience in the years to come. By embracing new ways of working, our workforce will remain skilled, capable and ready to respond to the evolving needs of the government and the Australian public.

Over the life of the Strategic Workforce Plan, we will build on its strong foundations to cultivate a more diverse and dynamic workforce. We will build leaders at all levels to foster inclusion, stewardship, integrity and accountability. We will be exemplars in collaboration and co-design, partnering with stakeholders and connecting with communities.

We continue to progress a range of initiatives to develop our workforce, informed by our People Strategy and our Strategic Workforce Plan. These include:

• implementing our first enterprise agreement and associated policies and guidelines
• finalising our Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, which will articulate our commitment to attract, grow, retain and harness the diversity of our people
• continuing to attract and retain talent by leveraging our national footprint and our posture on flexible work
• developing a workplace strategy that sets out a contemporary work design for our people, place and technology functions
• delivering on our culture program by embedding our culture statement and employee value proposition to build on the TeamDEWR ethos and culture
• implementing our Innovate RAP to advance reconciliation across our workforce
• investing in capability development, with a focus on growing our leaders of today and tomorrow, high-performing hybrid teams, and cultural and psychological safety
• developing a reward and recognition framework to recognise and celebrate our people and their achievements
• refining our recruitment and onboarding experience to ensure new starters feel welcome, valued and inspired to achieve results
• continuing to engage and consult with our people through our People, Culture and Engagement Committee, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Consultative Committee, Work Health and Safety Committee, and diversity networks.

Strategic Commissioning Framework

The Strategic Commissioning Framework, released by the Australian Public Service Commission (APSC) on 1 December 2023, delivers on the government’s commitment to reduce outsourcing, prioritise direct employment and strengthen APS capability.

The framework requires that the core work of the APS must be done by its core workforce: APS employees. Core work means work that is essential to delivering the enduring functions of an agency and is required on a regular and ongoing basis.

The department’s Strategic Workforce Plan 2023–26 articulates our commitment to be a model employer in cultivating a secure, stable and capable public sector workforce in alignment with APS reform outcomes. It identifies core work for the department that must not be outsourced, including key focus areas in legal, policy and procurement job families.

We have taken rapid action to embed the Strategic Commissioning Framework in our internal processes, systems and governance. The outcome of these actions has been a reduction in outsourced core work and a decrease in overall external workforce relative to our total workforce.

In 2024–25, the department will continue our commitment to building a capable APS workforce in alignment with the Strategic Commissioning Framework. Having already achieved a reduction in outsourcing of core work, we have set a target for 2024–25 of not increasing our external workforce performing core work.

The department engages a dynamic and skilled external workforce to perform non-core work, in alignment with the framework principles, to deliver on our purpose. We will continue to responsibly outsource work to meet demands, such as short-term surge capacity or specialist capabilities, underpinned by robust framework implementation and monitoring practices.

Data and analytics

The department collects a wealth of data across our skills, employment and workplace relations activities. This informs our decisions when delivering our programs, forming policies and undertaking evaluations. The department’s Data Strategy 2024–27 outlines key activities to build on our data governance foundations, enhance our data capability, develop our data technology ethically, and transform our data analytics, evaluation and integration.

In 2024–25, the department’s Chief Data Officer, working with the Data Governance Committee, will continue to strategically drive reform and develop a consistent approach to data governance and data sharing within the department and the broader portfolio. We will continue to:

• harness insights from our data assets to inform policy development and program design
• strengthen our data capability and culture
• continue to manage our data safely and securely and to protect the privacy of individuals.

Information and communication technology

Developing secure, robust and fit-for-purpose ICT infrastructure, end-user equipment, business applications and services helps the department deliver better employment, skills and workplace relations outcomes. It also benefits other people and organisations who rely on our ICT to receive the support they need.

The department’s Digital Business Strategy guides our ICT direction and supports digital service delivery to our users. The strategy outlines 4 key shifts to transform the digital experience we provide:

• facilitating simple access for users
• creating cohesive and reliable digital experiences
• improving the way we use our data to enhance services
• supporting policy development by ensuring our solutions are modern, integrated and connected.

In 2024–25 we will continue to deliver cohesive and data-driven digital business services to our users and shared services partners. The shared services we offer are tailored to the specific requirements of each partner agency. They include application hosting, ICT service management, project delivery, and investment design and planning. We will continue to contribute to cross-government initiatives and ensure alignment with whole-of-government strategies and approaches. We will develop systems in a secure and compliant way, with the privacy of users’ data at the core of our design-led approaches. To protect our users and the data entrusted to us, we continue to invest in and strengthen the security of our ICT network, systems, and data holdings by focusing on our maturity levels against the Australian Cyber Security Centre’s Essential Eight mitigation strategies to prevent harmful cyber incidents.

The department operates ICT infrastructure across on-premises data centres and public cloud networks in accordance with the Australian Government Secure Cloud Strategy. We are committed to modernising our IT infrastructure and updating end-user platforms for secure and reliable use. We are also promoting digital literacy across the department and partner agencies, fostering innovation and exploring the ethical use of AI. We will continue to align with whole-of-government direction and strategies, including the Data and Digital Government Strategy, the Australian Government Architecture, and the Australian Cyber Security Strategy.

In 2024–25 we will continue to build ICT, digital and data capability in line with our workforce strategy by recruiting and developing new starters through our entry-level programs and investing in the skills of our people. We will continue to offer attractive career pathways by fostering an inclusive, collaborative and contemporary work environment. We will collaborate with the APSC’s Emerging Talent Programs Team to administer 3 ICT entry-level programs for the department: the Digital Traineeship Program, the Digital Cadetship Program and the Digital Graduate Program. We will also continue to engage IT Australian School-Based Apprentices.

Infrastructure and facilities

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations shares multiple property leases around Australia with the Department of Education, some of which are set to expire. This provides the opportunity to consolidate and rationalise our leased footprint with more energy-efficient fit-outs and buildings in line with the Net Zero in Government Operations Strategy, and to modernise our workspaces to support new ways of working.

Our updated office fit-outs will incorporate flexible workspaces, collaboration areas, quiet or focus rooms, and storage lockers that will facilitate a shift towards team-based desk sharing. Following a pilot program across our Melbourne offices in 2023, the department has developed a schedule for phased rollout of desk-sharing during 2024–25. By sharing our office space at a team level, we will optimise our leased footprint, while catering for individual work patterns and ensuring that we have the capacity to accommodate our staff working from the office in all locations.

Financial management

Effective financial management is a key element of the department’s sustainability, performance and accountability. Our approach to financial management enables our staff and stakeholders to access the right financial information to make informed decisions. Our Finance Strategy sets out the department’s approach to supporting our financial sustainability through timely and informed investment of our financial resources, guided by key principles.

These principles are:

• being strategic and forward looking in our capability, development, and investment in financial literacy
• maintaining financial systems that support the delivery of our business outcomes and provide consistent reporting
• implementing strong governance and financial controls to support our approach
• operating within the resources provided by the Government and harnessing opportunities in the external Budget cycle.

Our Portfolio Budget Statements 2024–25 contain further information regarding the department’s Budget estimates (departmental and administered), average staffing levels, budgeted financial statements and high-level performance information for the reporting period.

Our risk culture

We recognise that to support the department’s purpose our staff must have a positive risk culture. This means a culture in which we take appropriate, well-informed and considered risks that enable us to deliver outcomes we might not otherwise achieve.

We consider a positive risk culture to be a shared set of values and behaviours for our staff, describing how we engage with risk in our day-to-day activities. By promoting consideration of both the threat and the opportunity of risk, we strengthen our risk culture and increase our departmental risk maturity and capability.

Enterprise risk management arrangements

The department is managing risks in accordance with the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy. We implement this through our Accountable Authority Instruction for Risk Management and our Enterprise Risk Management Policy and Framework.

We encourage our staff to embrace risk management to inform decision-making. Our risk management arrangements guide how we consider and communicate risks, including those we share with our stakeholders. Working collaboratively, both internally and externally, enables us to manage shared risk with a common purpose.

Our goal is to achieve an appropriate balance between taking some risks and managing other risks so that we can maximise opportunity, protect our interests and minimise disruption to our critical business functions.

Risk governance

Effective governance arrangements support positive engagement with risk and create an environment that promotes both compliance and innovation in delivering outcomes.

We have built appropriate frameworks and systems to oversee our enterprise risk management arrangements. We have a clear understanding of the department’s strategic risks, and this drives our strategic thinking and risk-informed discussions at meetings of the Executive Board and the Audit and Risk Committee.

By encouraging risk discussions, we use our governance committees to prepare for emerging challenges and support appropriate oversight of our enterprise risk management arrangements.

Our Chief Risk Officer champions our risk culture and plays a central role in creating a positive risk environment with transparent reporting to our governance committees. A dedicated enterprise risk team supports the Chief Risk Officer.

Strategic risk environment

For each of our 8 strategic risks we clearly identify our risk focus areas and mitigation strategies (Figure 2.4). This approach supports holistic risk management by providing staff with a line of sight between the operational risks they manage and the department-level strategic risks.

We regularly monitor these risks through our governance arrangements to allow us to adjust our control environment and ensure they remain within our risk appetite.

Our operating risk environment (Figure 2.5) connects our enterprise risk management arrangements, internal guidance and resources with whole-of-government legislation and standards.

We use our enterprise risk systems to embed risk assessments across all our functions. We integrate various risk management approaches into our Enterprise Risk Management Policy and Framework.

Taking the government’s Climate Risk and Opportunity Management Program into account, we are working to integrate the identification, assessment and management of climate risks into all of the department’s activities.

Our mandatory risk plans must address culture and people; work health and safety; fraud and corruption; data and personal information; child safety; climate; and finance and resource risks.

The department’s performance information, monitoring and reporting framework is underpinned by the Commonwealth Performance Framework and requirements in the PGPA Act and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Rule 2014 (PGPA Rule).

Our performance tools and guidance material have been designed to reflect and support our commitment to developing meaningful, transparent and accurate performance reporting. We undertake regular reviews of our performance information and key activities as part of our performance culture.

The Federal Safety Commissioner

The Federal Safety Commissioner and the Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner (OFSC) operate within the department and have regulatory functions, including to develop, implement, administer and promote the Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme (WHS Scheme) for Australian Government funded building and construction work.

The Federal Safety Commissioner and the OFSC oversee compliance by companies, accredited under the WHS Scheme, with scheme requirements via onsite safety system auditing and reporting of safety incidents.

Regulatory performance measure

The regulatory performance measure for the Federal Safety Commissioner and the OFSC is:

Total Recorded Injury Frequency Rate (TRIFR) collectively reported by companies accredited under the Work Health and Safety Accreditation Scheme is lower than the previous calendar year.

This stretch measure assesses and compares the overall impact of the Federal Safety Commissioner’s performance of their functions described in the Federal Safety Commissioner Act 2022 annually through the use of safety performance data of companies in the building and construction industry accredited under the WHS Scheme.

Safety performance is influenced by the WHS Scheme and the actions of the Federal Safety Commissioner and the OFSC. However, other factors will also affect the safety performance of companies – for example, regulatory actions by state and territory safety regulators and unilateral actions by companies to improve safety.

The TRIFR is collectively reported by accredited companies to the OFSC. The annual target for the OFSC is for the TRIFR rate to be lower than the previous calendar year. This measure assesses the effectiveness of the WHS Scheme. It reflects the overall impact of the OFSC’s work and aligns with the principles of regulatory best practice.

For more information about this performance measure, see measure WR004 within the Our performance measures section of this plan.

Regulatory approach

The OFSC works to align its regulatory performance to the 3 key principles of regulatory best practice:

• continuous improvement and building trust
• risk based and data driven
• collaboration and engagement.

For further information about the Federal Safety Commissioner’s regulatory functions and approach, see the:

• Office of the Federal Safety Commissioner website
• Ministerial Statement of Expectations
• Statement of Intent.

The department’s performance measures for 2024–25 to 2027–28 presented in this plan show how each measure relates to outcomes, programs and key activities.

The following performance measure tables establish targets, where appropriate, and briefly indicate the methodology for determining achievement against each target. Where more than one target relates to a single performance measure, the result of each component is intended to be reported individually.

The department expects to report achievement against these targets in the 2024–25 annual performance statement.