Standing Committee on Employment, Education
and Workplace Relations
Public Hearings in Canberra, December 9
The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Employment, Education
and Workplace Relations will be holding its final 1999 public hearings
for its inquiry into issues specific to mature-age job seekers, starting
at
9:00am on Thursday 9 December in Committee Room 1R3, Parliament
House, Canberra.
The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations & Small Business
(DEWRSB) and the Belconnen Employment Solutions Taskforce will be giving
evidence.
The Chair of the Committee, Dr Brendan Nelson, said: "The Department
has responsibility for a number of programs which impact on unemployed
mature-age people. One is Job Network, which provides national services
for the unemployed. Given the comments witnesses have made about Job
Network providers in the course of this inquiry, the Committee is keen
to question DEWRSB, especially as the list of the latest Job Network
providers was released last week.
"DEWRSB is responsible for a number of programs, including the New
Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS), which assist people who wish to
establish and operate small businesses. Many retrenched mature-age people
seek to create employment for themselves by setting up a small business.
Unfortunately, a number of these ventures fail. The Committee is keen
to explore with DEWRSB the operation of its small business programs.
"Among the matters the Committee would like to discuss with DEWRSB
are the barriers to mature-age re-employment. If, as we have been told,
employer attitudes form a sizeable barrier, then we need to develop
strategies to overcome such prejudices.
"The Belconnen Taskforce, on the other hand, provides a local ACT
perspective. It is a community-based organisation interested in furthering
an understanding of the plight of ACT unemployed mature-age people.
While the ACT may have a lower unemployment rate than many other parts
of Australia, the Taskforce points out that significant numbers of mature-age
job seekers in the ACT are not accessing services because they are not
aware of all the services available to them.
"We are keen to have a better understanding of the issues facing policy
makers, service providers and job seekers so that we can find workable
solutions to recommend to the Government."
The Committee has held public hearings in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth,
Adelaide, Brisbane and Canberra. Public hearing transcripts and most
submissions are available at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/eewr/OWK/index.htm
. Alternatively, copies may be obtained directly from the secretariat.
Terms of reference
Inquire into the social, economic and industrial issues specific to
workers over 45 years of age seeking employment, or establishing a business,
following unemployment.
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