The Australian Government is supporting communities most likely to be affected by the closure of emissions-intensive industry. The Government will ensure that the people that have powered the nation for generations are not left behind in the transition.
Supporting workers, families and communities
The Government is investing in supports and services for workers, families, employers and communities to help them through Australia’s transition to net zero. This work is being led by the Net Zero Economy Agency and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. Supports and services will be in line with the needs of the community.
Every community will require a different approach to address their region’s unique barriers and to ensure people have access to the opportunities that arise as industries transition. This may include:
- Access to information about the net zero transition, the supports that are available and how to access them;
- Help to understand the value of their skills, gain new skills, or have their existing skills recognised through training opportunities and recognition of prior learning;
- Help for workers and communities members to find new work or make decisions about their career paths through career guidance;
- Access to job search assistance and matching, help with resume writing or interview preparation; and
- Wellbeing support and financial planning and advice.
The Government has a number of measures to support regions
Net Zero Jobs Plan
The Government will consult with regional communities on the Net Zero Jobs Plan.
The Net Zero Jobs Plan will set out the Government’s vision of achieving a smooth workforce transition as Australia moves to a net zero economy. This will help workers in affected regions, and their families and communities to navigate the changes in their local area and to take up new work and opportunities.
Energy Industry Jobs Plan
The Energy Industry Jobs Plan is part of the legislation to establish the Net Zero Economy Authority and will help people working in closing coal-fired and gas-fired power stations and their dependent employers (e.g. coal mines that are reliant on a closing power station) to access new employment through a redeployment process.
The Energy Industry Jobs Plan will ensure those workers are provided with the support they need to directly transition into a new job and will help employers in the region to identify and recruit skilled workers from closing facilities, keeping workers in those regions and reducing the impacts of closures on impacted communities.
Regional Workforce Transition Plans
The Regional Workforce Transition Plans will be developed by the Net Zero Economy Agency and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations in consultation with State and Local Government, unions, employers, workers and communities.
Each Regional Workforce Transition Plan will outline the employment and skills supports that are available in each region. The Regional Workforce Transition Plans will help communities know what is available and how and where to access it.
For example: people might need information about how to gain skills for a particular job, how to get existing skills recognised or how to apply for new opportunities in clean energy jobs.
Regional Workforce Transition Officers
Regional Workforce Transition Officers (currently named Australian Government Employment Facilitators) will work closely with local stakeholders to hear and act on concerns and coordinate and promote community needs to governments.
Transitioning Workforce Fund
Transitioning workforce projects will help communities, business, industries, governments, unions and service providers to develop employment and skills transition projects that address local concerns or build local capability.
For example, this may include solutions that help key priority groups (First Nations people, people living with a disability, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, mature age workers and young people) to find new jobs or access training.
Consultation
The Government will continue to engage with people and businesses in regions on the best way to support communities to successfully navigate the opportunities arising from new clean energy industries and to develop more diverse regional economies.
Next steps
In the coming weeks and months more information will be released about the supports and services.