Presentation by Jonathan Barr, Policy Analyst, OECD LEED Programme. Presentation done at the Working Communities International Congress 2013: Uniting to improve social and economic participation (Sydney, Australia) on 20-21 June 2013. For more information http://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/wcic2013.htm

1. OECD LOCAL JOB CREATION
PROJECT
Summary of Findings and Recommendations for Australia
Presentation to the Working Communities International
Congress – 20 June, 2013
Jonathan Barr, Policy Analyst, OECD

2. Overview of the Local Job Creation Project
• Assesses the contribution of local labour market
policy to boosting quality jobs and enhancing
productivity
• It is a cross-comparative study involving 12
countries:, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech
Republic, France, Ireland, Israel, Korea, United
Kingdom (Northern Ireland), Italy, Sweden and
the United States
2

3. Background on the study in Australia
• Looked at the range of institutions and bodies
involved in workforce and skills development
• Key focus of the project was role played by Local
Employment Coordinators
• In depth fieldwork was undertaken in two Priority
Employment Areas: 1) Ballarat-Bendigo; and 2)
Ipswich-Logan

4. • Australia’s Keep Australia Working strategy made the coordination
of employment policies at the local level a priority. One of the
measures included the identification of Priority Employment Areas
(PEAs)
• Local Employment Coordinators (LECs) were appointed and
Advisory Committees were established comprising local
stakeholders
• LECs develop local solutions using a partnership approach – have
access to flexible funding pool – also connect job seekers and
employers through jobs and skills expos
• A further extension of the Priority Employment Area measure until
30 June 2014 to continue the work of 20 Local Employment
Coordinators and fund another 10 Jobs and Skills Expos
Priority Employment Initiative/Local
Employment Coordinators

5. Australia: Key findings of OECD study
Local governance and policy
integration
Developing skills
• Limited flexibility for employment
service providers in the policy
management framework
• Partnerships and collaboration need to
be strengthened
• VET system is quite strong – high
level of employer engagement in
design and delivery of training –
however, many SMEs face issues
accessing training

6. Australia: Key findings of OECD study
Utilising Skills
Inclusion
• Some good practices for working with
employers on skills utilisation
• Need to ensure skills approaches
focus on sectors of local importance
• Inclusion is a major objective of
employment policy – streaming clients
based on level of disadvantage
• Some groups still face many barriers
(e.g. Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander and Youth)

7. Overall assessment of LECs
Strengths Challenges
A forum or intermediary for
employment services, economic
development, vocational
education, employers, and other
local stakeholders to collaborate
Enables local stakeholders to
build common objectives and
identify strategic actions to be
taken at the local level
Promotes awareness of issues
faced in a geographical area
Provides a mechanism for
directing funds to disadvantaged
areas
Time-limited initiative, which may
impede commitment to
collaboration from local
stakeholders
Limited flexibility and resources to
develop locally-based solutions
Governance model may not be
optimal for shared horizontal
accountability
Performance is not tied to
outcome measures

8. Better adapt and orient employment services to local conditions by
adjusting their contract at the level of local / regional labour markets
Strengthen the Local Employment Coordinator model by establishing an
accountable local board, which could adapt the contract and coordinate
local responses through a partnership approach
Consider tools available to stimulate local capacity
Build the necessary evidence base and intelligence to support local labour
market planning
Build better pathways to vocational education and the labour market by
ensuring young people and adults have adequate local labour market
information on job requirements and prospects
Promote awareness and actions to ensure that skills are effectively utilised
by employers across the country while further encouraging SMEs to
participate in work-based training and skills development initiatives
Potential ways forward

9. Local skills strategies for job creation

10. Thank you very much
Jonathan.barr@oecd.org