Australian Long-Term Unemployment Conference

The theme of the 3rd Annual Australian Long-Term Unemployment Conference in 2016 is Finding Solutions. This year’s conference focuses on service providers and facilitators within the sector working together with employers to create positive outcomes for Australia’s long-term unemployed.

What are employers looking for when hiring a long-term unemployed worker?  Is that criterion being met by supplying agencies?  How do the two come together?

This year’s conference addresses these questions and focuses on what has worked; how the process can be improved; what resources are available; are those resources accessible; and the corporate social responsibility of business.

Combining practical examples, theory, research and best practice this conference elevates the dialogue to include businesses, not-for-profits, Government agencies, human resource professionals, social security services and industrial relations advocates.

The Australian Long-Term Unemployment Conference will be held on 1 – 2 December 2016 at the Mercure Brisbane.

Conference Topics

1. Job availability: engagement with employers
2. Employment Best Practice: case studies from Australia and Overseas
3. Industry expectations and requirements
4. The lived experience and support: housing, Centrelink, training
5. The marginalised unemployed: ATSI, LGBTI, rural and remote, people with disabilities, multicultural groups
6. Issues affecting specific groups: young school leavers, mature age, untrained, over qualified university
7. Future of Work: the changing face of work and the workplace
8. Understanding occupation
9. Preparing people for work
10. Early intervention
11. Real solutions: programs and tools for organisations
12. Behavioural aspects: relationship between mental health and the long term unemployed

Confirmed Keynote Speakers

Holly Ransom, CEO, Emergent (change and innovation)

Holly Ransom is the CEO of Emergent, a company that works with leaders, organisations and governments globally leading change and innovation. Holding a Law degree and BA (Economics), Holly generates innovative solutions to complex multi-stakeholder problems. Holly Chaired the 2014 Youth Summit. In 2016, Holly was appointed to Co-Chair of the United Nations Global Coalition of Young Women Entrepreneurs and became the youngest ever female Director of an AFL club with her appointment to the Port Adelaide Football Club board.

Innes Willox, Chief Executive, Australian Industry Group

Innes Willox is Chief Executive of the Australian Industry Group, a leading industry organisation representing businesses in across sectors including manufacturing, defence, ICT and labour hire.

His current appointments include; Director of Australian Super, Director of the Innovative Manufacturing Co-operative Research Centre, Chair of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Skilled Migration,  Board Member of National Industry Capability Network, Board Member of Migration Council of Australia, and  Member of RMIT College of Business Industry Advisory Board

Innes attended Melbourne High School; Monash University; and Edinburgh Business School and has held a wide range of positions over his career. Innes is based in Melbourne and a supporter of the Collingwood Football Club.

Peter Strong, CEO, Council of Small Business Australia

Peter Strong is currently contracted to the Council of Small Business of Australia as CEO and has been in this role since June 2010. The role requires advocacy for the small business community and representation of issues from members to politicians and government agencies. Peter participates in various advisory groups to the Australian government including: Co-Chair of the Digital Business Council, Chairman of Treasury’s Business Advisory Forum on Standard Business Reporting (SBR); a Board member of the SBR Board; a member of the Australian Tax Commissioner’s small business advisory group. He also participates in a series of Mental Health Advisory groups as well as the Business Advisory Forum for ASIC; and various other business related groups.

Prior to appointment as CEO of COSBOA, Peter owned and managed a bookshop and wine bar/café; and consulted on economic reform with the World Bank and the United Nations.

Peter Whiteford, Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, ANU

Peter Whiteford is a Professor in the Crawford School of Public Policy at The Australian National University, Canberra. He is the Director of the Policy and Governance Teaching Programme, Director of the Social Policy Institute and a Fellow of the Tax and Transfer Policy Institute in the Crawford School. He has previously worked at the OECD, and at other universities as well as for the Australian public service.  He is the author of more than 100 articles in refereed journals, book chapters or monographs on the Australian system of income support, international comparisons of social security policies, and on inequality and redistribution.

Mr Charles Cameron, CEO, Recruitment & Consulting Services Association

Charles Cameron is the Chief Executive Officer of RCSA, the peak body for the recruitment and workforce services industry in Australia and New Zealand.   Charles joined RCSA in May 2016 as an expert in non-traditional working arrangements and has represented the industry before all forms of government and business.  Charles has expertise in recruitment industry compliance and public policy and, with qualifications in economics and labour law, is an Executive Committee Director on the Board of the World Employment Confederation, the voice of the employment industry at a global level, representing labour market enablers across 50 countries.   Charles is passionate about ensuring that private workforce service providers are recognised and promoted as the right balance between flexibility and responsibility in a fast-changing world of work.

Prashant Doshi, CEO, Exemplar Inc

Prashant Doshi is a founder of Exemplar Human Services and currently Chairman of Exemplar Corporation.  Exemplar Human Services provides actionable analytics to human service agencies to help them improve their outcomes.  Prashant’s expertise has enabled him to have keen insight into how successful public/private partnerships can be created to achieve synergistic goals.

Prior to Exemplar, Prashant advised numerous companies in a variety of industries, ranging from cyber-security to media/telecommunications, both in North America and Europe.

Prashant graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) having studied engineering and economics and awarded the Institute’s highest honor for service and leadership, the Karl Taylor Compton Award.  Prashant holds certifications in mediation, Harvard’s principle-centered negotiations, and the mastery level of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

Video: Poverty in Australia