Negotiating Job Plans for under 18 year old at risk job seekers 010-06090010

Young people under the age of 18 years, who have not completed Year 12 (or equivalent) or a Certificate III or higher are considered to be early school leavers. They need to undertake approved requirements and/or job search and enter into a Job Plan with either Services Australia or a Workforce Australia - Employment Services Provider to satisfy their mutual obligation requirements:

• Approved requirements must be for at least 25 hours per week
• For any combination of approved requirements and job search, their provider will determine the number of job searches required in addition to their other requirements
• If undertaking only job search, they must look for work of at least 25 hours per week and the number of job searches will be determined by their provider

Generally, early school leavers under 18 years of age (but who are at least 15) should be referred to Workforce Australia - Transition to Work Services (TtW) and provider managed. TtW assists eligible young job seekers into work, education, apprenticeships and traineeships. TtW services are delivered by Employment Service Providers. They operate separately to Workforce Australia Services, Disability Employment Services (DES) and Community Development Program (CDP).

An exemption to study does not automatically mean the job seeker has an exemption from their requirements. An exemption from their mutual obligation requirements is assessed and coded separately by Services Australia and are temporary.

The agency is responsible for negotiating the Job Plan for Centrelink managed job seekers and providers negotiate the Job Plan for provider managed job seekers. The Participation Summary screen displays who is responsible for negotiating the Job Plan.

The Job Plan should be tailored to the job seeker's individual circumstances and may include requirements such as undertaking study, training, job search or other approved requirements.

If it is identified that a provider managed job seeker would be best referred to an education program (such as Skills for Education and Employment (SEE)), the Service Officer must consult the provider. If the provider agrees, the Service Officer may refer the job seeker to the appropriate program and the provider will update the job seeker's Job Plan.

Some young people aged under 18 require support in making decisions that will lead them along adequate pathways to independence. Services Australia plays a crucial role in assisting these young people make the right choices to achieve successful outcomes, such as sustainable employment. Most young people are able to make this transition successfully with some support from their family, key government and non-government organisations, and the community.

There continues to be a group of young people for whom the movement from school to work is not easy, and a substantial amount of support is required to assist them in addressing often complex barriers. These barriers may include a lack of family support, a high level of family conflict, substance abuse, unstable accommodation, mental illness, a history of state care, or a history of truancy or offending behaviour.

At the job seeker's initial contact with Services Australia, the Participation Interview will be applied. This will assist in determining the level of assistance the job seeker requires and which referrals should be made, including an immediate referral to a social worker where the job seeker is in crisis. A referral to an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) may be required. The outcome of the Job Seeker Snapshot or an ESAt allows the job seeker to receive tailored assistance from the most appropriate employment services provider according to their circumstances. The Job Seeker Snapshot is not required for job seekers in Community Development Program (CDP) regions.

Where a job seeker advises of a change in circumstances, the Job Seeker Snapshot should be conducted again. To remain eligible for payment, an early school leaver job seeker must be prepared to negotiate and agree to a Job Plan with either Services Australia or an Employment Services Provider and to take all reasonable steps to comply with the terms of the Job Plan they have signed.

Centrelink managed job seekers must be undertaking activities in their job plan that enable them to fully meet their mutual obligation requirements. Provider managed job seekers must negotiate a plan with their Employment Services Provider.

In accordance with Department of Employment and Workplace Relations policy, Job Plan requirements should be quantifiable, specific and achievable. Generally, mutual obligation requirements should reflect the young person's educational attainment, experience, skills, (including social and life skills) and their physical and psychological capacity. Access to local training and other opportunities should also be considered. An appropriate Job Plan is one which includes requirements that reflect the complex needs of the young person. While there should be a component of education or training, these requirements must be achievable in the context of the young person's current circumstances.

Sometimes the involvement of third parties in the Job Plan negotiation process is appropriate and will ensure the job seeker's plan is as effective as possible, for example, vulnerable young people. The aim of this interagency cooperation is to ensure that job seeker barriers to study and training are identified and captured by the Job Seeker Snapshot as well as being adequately addressed in a Job Plan.

Young people presenting with these circumstances should be identified as being at high risk of not complying with their requirements and may need additional assistance. It is important this is indicated on the job seeker's record via a DOC using the 'atrisk' keyword and the Circumstances Impacting Compliance.