The Rudd Government’s new Participation Taskforce met in Melbourne for the first time today.

The Taskforce will provide advice to Government on the barriers to greater participation in the work force, particularly for parents and mature-age job seekers. 

In particular the Taskforce will consider whether there are better ways of balancing the increased participation of parents with their family and community responsibilities.  It will also examine issues in relation to mature age participation, including access to training.

The Minister for Employment Participation, Brendan O’Connor, announced the establishment of the taskforce in May as part of a major overhaul of the delivery of employment services.

Australia has comparatively low levels of participation in the workforce by parents and people aged over 55.

Without intervention it is estimated that Australia will experience a shortfall of around 195,000 workers over the next three years. While over the next 40 years the proportion of Australians aged over 65 is expected to double which will mean a lower proportion of Australians of a working age.

 The Rudd Government recognises the importance of developing a skilled and active workforce in order to increase productivity levels and meet the challenges of an ageing population and widespread skills shortages.

That is why we have committed $1.9 billion over the next five years to provide 630,000 new training places including 238,000 places for job seekers and $3.7 billion on a reformed employment services system.

The Government is also helping parents to get back into the workforce or further study and training by investing $1.6 billion over four years to increase the rate of Child Care Tax Rebate from 30 to 50 per cent of out-of-pocket child care costs up to $7500 per year for each child in approved care.

Mr O’Connor today also announced that Ms Patricia Faulkner AO will chair the Participation Taskforce. Ms Faulkner is also Chair of the Australian Social Inclusion Board.

Ms Faulkner will be joined by representatives from key welfare, business and employee organisations including the Australian Council of Social Service, the National Welfare Rights Network, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the Business Council of Australia.

Representatives from these national bodies will be joined by Professor Bob Gregory, a leading academic from the Australian National University.

The Taskforce will examine submissions to the Employment Services Review related to participation and meet with key stakeholders before providing its recommendations to Government before end of August 2008.

2 July 2008