esherhouse
Data & Behavioural Insights

Ready Resilience (formerly known as Esher House) part of Federal Government jobseeker trial

Ready Resilience (formerly known as Esher House) will be playing a key role in helping the Federal Government and PwC with a $3 million jobseeker trial that aims to help 250 older jobseekers find and sustain employment.

Ready Resilience technology will be assisting the Federal Government with a $3 million jobseeker trial in South Western Sydney designed to help 250 older jobseekers find and sustain employment.

The ‘Career Skills for New Jobs’ trial, announced in April by the Federal Minister for Families and Social Services, Paul Fletcher, will provide jobseekers with access to an online Career Management Tool and tailored support and training designed to improve their confidence and skills for work.

ReadyTech will be developing and delivering the new online Career Management Tool as well as provide behavioural science-backed technology and human intervention services via Ready Resilience.

The trial will be led by PricewaterhouseCoopers Australia (PwC) in Sydney and involve ReadyTech, claims management service provider EML and TAFE NSW.

Federal Minister Paul Fletcher said the online Career Management Tool that ReadyTech will develop to anchor interaction with jobseekers for the trial will “enable connected, tailored support and training to improve jobseeker confidence and skills in finding and keeping a job”.

“The Morrison Government is absolutely committed to making sure that employment opportunities remain open for mature age Australians,” Fletcher said.

ReadyTech Chief Executive Officer, Marc Washbourne, said the collaborative project for older jobseekers was an exciting example of the innovation that can happen when business, government and technology providers come together for social good.

“Older jobseekers often face significant barriers to finding employment, including anything from the need to learn new and relevant skills and structural barriers in the employment market, to deeper issues like discrimination from employers and the loss of confidence and self-esteem,” Washbourne said.

“The technology we offer currently allows jobactive and DES employment services providers and jobseekers to identify and overcome barriers to employment, including older jobseekers. We’re excited to collaborate on this targeted project for older jobseekers.”

The mature aged job seekers will all be recipients of the Newstart Allowance and aged 50 years or over. They will receive one-to-one tailored career support through career practitioners, access to appropriate vocational education and training, as well as health and financial services.

The jobseekers involved in the trial will be:

  • Matched to an experienced career practitioner for tailored career management support;
  • Provided with access to career diagnostics and behavioural assessments so they can identify skills, interests, behaviours, and barriers to employment;
  • Connected to further education and training to support their skills development;
  • Linked to services and whole-of-person resources to support them into work.

The project is expected to begin recruiting jobseeker participants from mid-2019. It is funded through the Federal Government’s $96.1 million Try, Test and Learn fund.