The Work Readiness Service stream includes:
Training
CDEP providers should arrange training services to help participants develop the skills they need to take on paid work. Trainers can include contracted accredited trainers—for example, registered training organisations.
Training can include accredited and non-accredited, pre-vocational and vocational training. The training should suit an individual participant’s needs and increase their work skills. If possible, training should match employment opportunities and skills’ shortages in the community or region.
Examples of Work Readiness training:
| Foundation and basic work skills (‘pre-vocational’ training) |
Vocational training |
- English language, literacy and numeracy
- Personal and household finance
- Personal, health and household management
- Driver’s licence
- Occupational health and safety
- Pre-apprenticeship training
- Computing and information technology
- Communication, problem solving and team work
|
- Environmental and land management
- Administration and bookkeeping
- Child care, social work, and counselling
- Mentors
- Construction
- Health and education
- Hospitality and tourism
- Community development officers
- Retail and business management
- Local government services
|
Work experience
Arranging placements
Work experience involves placing participants with employers. The aim is to build up to full-time hours and employment for non-work ready participants and help them move out of the CDEP program.
CDEP providers:
- work with employers to arrange work experience—to help increase participants’ confidence and self-esteem, and develop work skills and regular attendance patterns
- discuss work experience placements with employers and encourage them to provide real working conditions—this prepares participants to take up future work opportunities and can often lead to job
- work with participants and employers to build tangible skills and expertise—to support participants through mentoring and job-specific training
Important: Work experience placements must be with employers who have an Australian Business Number. Participants cannot have a work placement with an employer they had previously worked for.
Wages
Employers pay wages direct to people on work experience. These employers can apply for wage subsidies.
Employment Services and Indigenous Employment Program providers are responsible for wage subsidies for New Participants.
CDEP providers are responsible for wage subsidies for Continuing Participants through CDEP Wages.
Hours
Participants in work experience placements must work for at least 7.5 hours each week and up to 37.5 hours per week for periods of no less than 13 weeks.
Participants can only work for one employer for a total of 12 months over the funding agreement period.
Limit to provider payments
Providers are only paid one placement payment per participant, and one outcome payment per participant, with the one employer.