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Workforce Australia Guidelines, Part A: Universal Guidelinesv1.16, effective 1 July 2026

    1. Disclaimer
    2. Version History
    3. Contents
    4. Guideline Interpretation and Glossary
    1. Supporting Documents:
    2. 1.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 1.2. Workforce Australia Branding
    4. 1.3. Recipient Created Tax Invoices
    5. 1.4. Fraud and Corruption Training
    6. 1.5. Dispute Resolution
    7. 1.6. Commonwealth Child Safety Framework (CCSF)
    8. 1.7. Minimum Site Requirements
    9. 1.8. Media Enquiries
    10. 1.9. Business Continuity Requirements
    11. 1.10. Face-to-face Service Delivery
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 2.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 2.2. Records Framework
    4. 2.3. Management of Records
    5. 2.4. Movement of Records
    6. 2.5. Transfer of Records
    7. 2.6. Return of Records
    8. 2.7. Data Migration
    9. 2.8. Breaches and Inappropriate Handling of Records
    10. 2.9. Retention of Records
    11. 2.10. Disposal of Records
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 3.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 3.2. The Australian Privacy Principles
    4. 3.3. APP 3: Collection of solicited personal information
    5. 3.4. APP 4: Dealing with unsolicited personal information
    6. 3.5. APP 5: Notification of the collection of personal information
    7. 3.6. APP 6: Use and Disclosure of personal information
    8. 3.7. APP 7: Direct marketing
    9. 3.8. APP 9: Adoption, use or disclosure of government related identifiers
    10. 3.9. APPs 12 and 13: Access to and correction of personal information
    11. 3.10. Use and disclosure of Protected Information
    12. 3.11. Privacy Incidents and the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme
    13. 3.12. Privacy complaints
    14. 3.13. Referring individuals to the Department in relation to privacy matters
    15. 3.14. Awareness and Training Expectations
    1. 4.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 4.2. External Systems Assurance Framework
    3. 4.3. Right Fit for Risk approach
    4. 4.4. Guidelines for accreditation and maintenance of accreditation
    5. 4.5. Provider classification for accreditation
    6. 4.6. Milestones for completing the accreditation process
    7. 4.7. Submission deliverables
    8. 4.8. Accreditation maintenance
    9. 4.9. Core expectations of Providers under the RFFR
    10. 4.10. General requirements
    11. 4.11. Use of Artificial Intelligence in delivering employment services
    1. 5.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 5.2. Recognising challenging behaviour
    3. 5.3. Managing a challenging behaviour incident
    4. 5.4. Incident reporting
    5. 5.5. Post-incident servicing

Workforce Australia Guidelines, Part B: Workforce Australia Servicesv1.24, effective 1 July 2026

    1. Disclaimer
    2. Version History
    3. Contents
    4. Guideline Interpretation and Glossary
    5. Reading Notes
    6. Glossary
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 1.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 1.2. Referrals of Eligible Participants
    4. 1.3. Eligibility Table
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 2.1. Commencements
    3. 2.2. Transfers
    4. 2.3. Caseload Suspensions
    5. 2.4. Exits
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 3.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 3.2. Eligibility for Direct Registration
    4. 3.3. Commencing a Directly Registered Participant
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 4.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 4.2. The Job Seeker Assessment Framework
    4. 4.3. The Job Seeker Snapshot and the Job Seeker Classification Instrument
    5. 4.4. Referring Participants for an Employment Services Assessment
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 5.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 5.2. Upfront Payments
    4. 5.3. Progress Payments
    5. 5.4. Employment Outcome Payments
    1. 5A.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 5A.2. Objectives of WorkFoundations
    3. 5A.3. Outcomes of WorkFoundations
    4. 5A.4. Program Duration and Structure
    5. 5A.5. Employer Responsibilities for Ongoing Employment
    6. 5A.6. Role of Workforce Australia Services Providers
    7. 5A.7. WorkFoundations Participant Handbook
    8. 5A.8. Employment Agreement
    9. 5A.9. Mutual Obligation Requirements
    10. 5A.10. Compulsory Appointments
    11. 5A.11. Targeted Compliance Framework
    12. 5A.12. Funded assistance during WorkFoundations Placement
    13. 5A.13. Supporting Participants with Income Reporting
    14. 5A.14. Providing support to a Participant in a WorkFoundations Placement
    15. 5A.15. Monitoring Participant participation
    16. 5A.16. Challenging Behaviours
    17. 5A.17. Ending the WorkFoundations Placement prior to Completion Date
    18. 5A.18. Preparing for Placement Completion and Transition
    19. 5A.19. Provider Progress Payments during the WorkFoundations Placement
    20. 5A.20. Transitioning from Placement completion to ongoing employment
    21. 5A.21. Post-Placement Support
    22. 5A.22. Provider Payments for subsequent vacancies
    23. 5A.23. Aggregator Models
    24. 5A.24. WorkFoundations performance
    25. 5A.25. Assurance activities, feedback and evaluations
    26. 5A.26. Managing Work Health and Safety
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 6.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 6.2. Crediting the Employment Fund
    4. 6.3. Determining who is eligible
    5. 6.4. Making eligible Purchases
    6. 6.5. Claiming Reimbursement
    7. 6.6. Purchasing Goods or Services in advance
    8. 6.7. Summary of required Documentary Evidence
    9. Attachment 6A. Category Details – System and Documentary Evidence Requirements
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter
    2. 7.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 7.2. Wage Subsidy Eligibility Requirements
    4. 7.3. Offering and Negotiating Wage Subsidy Agreements
    5. 7.4. Payments to Wage Subsidy Employers
    6. 7.5. Claims for Reimbursement
    7. 7.6. Managing Wage Subsidy Agreements for Wage Subsidy Participants
    8. 7.7. Summary of Documentary Evidence
    9. Attachment 7A. Wage Subsidy Types and Participant Eligibility Requirements
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter
    2. 7A.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 7A.2. Real Jobs, Real Wages Pilot
    4. 7A.3. Employer Eligibility
    5. 7A.4. Department brokering of RJRW opportunities with Employers
    6. 7A.5. Participant eligibility
    7. 7A.6. Provider vacancy creation
    8. 7A.7. Participation in RJRW and Mutual Obligations, Points Based Activation System and Targeted Compliance Framework
    9. 7A.8. RJRW financial support for Employers and requirements for Providers
    10. 7A.9. Negotiating the terms of the RJRW Wage Subsidy
    11. 7A.10. RJRW Wage Subsidy Agreement Requirements
    12. 7A.11. Payments to Wage Subsidy Employers
    13. 7A.12. Post placement support
    14. 7A.13. Provider Outcome payments
    15. 7A.14. Engagement with continuous feedback and evaluation process
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 8.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 8.2. DSP recipient referrals to Workforce Australia Services
    4. 8.3. Servicing
    5. 8.4. Suspensions and Exits
    1. 9.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 9.2. Eligibility
    3. 9.3. Engage with corrective or youth justice services
    4. 9.4. Referral and Registration of people in custody
    5. 9.5. Servicing
    6. 9.6. Release from custody
    1. 10.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 10.2. Early Access initiative
    3. 10.3. Structural Adjustment Programs
    4. 10.4. Assessing eligibility
    5. 10.5. Registering Participants in a Structural Adjustment Program
    6. 10.6. Servicing Early Access (and SAP) Participants
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 11.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 11.2. What is a Job Plan?
    4. 11.3. Creating a Job Plan
    5. 11.4. Review and Agreement of the Job Plan
    6. 11.5. Updating a Job Plan
    7. 11.6. Arrangements for Participants (Voluntary)
    8. 11.7. Mutual Obligation Requirements
    9. 11.8. Activation and Mandatory Activity Requirement
    10. Attachment 11A. Cohorts Fully Meeting their Mutual Obligation Requirements
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 12.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 12.2. Targeted Compliance Framework
    4. 12.3. Capability Interviews
    5. 12.4. Capability Assessment
    6. 12.5. Work Refusal Failures
    7. 12.6. Pause of Mutual Obligation Requirements
    8. Attachment 12A. Overview of the Targeted Compliance Framework
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 13.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 13.2. Identifying suitable Activities for Participants
    4. 13.3. Arranging Activities
    5. 13.4. Collaboration with other providers and community organisations
    6. 13.5. Engaging with Host Organisations
    7. 13.6. Referrals and Commencement of an Activity
    8. 13.7. Managing participation in an Activity
    9. 13.8. Completion of Activities
    10. 13.9. Managing work health and safety for Activities
    11. 13.10. Supervision requirements
    12. 13.11. Managing Activity-related Incidents
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 14.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 14.2. Background
    4. 14.3. Benefits of EST
    5. 14.4. Role of Providers
    6. 14.5. Eligibility
    7. 14.6. Referral to EST
    8. 14.7. On Completion of the EST Course
    9. 14.8. Payments
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 15.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 15.2. Background
    4. 15.3. Benefits of CTA
    5. 15.4. Role of Providers
    6. 15.5. Eligibility and Suitability
    7. 15.6. Collaboration with CTA Providers
    8. 15.7. Referral to CTA
    9. 15.8. Progress Payments
  1. Chapter 16. ReservedReserved in the published source, no operational wording in this version
  2. Chapter 17. ReservedReserved in the published source, no operational wording in this version
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 18.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 18.2. Benefits of OWE
    4. 18.3. Role of Providers
    5. 18.4. Eligibility
    6. 18.5. Arranging Placements
    7. 18.6. Work Health and Safety
    8. 18.7. Managing OWE Placements
    9. 18.8. Progress Payments
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 19.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 19.2. Background
    4. 19.3. Role of Providers
    5. 19.4. Eligibility
    6. 19.5. Referrals to Self-Employment Assistance
    7. 19.6. Mutual Obligation Requirements for Participants accessing Self-Employment Assistance
    8. 19.7. Payments
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 20.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 20.2. Background
    4. 20.3. Role of Providers
    5. 20.4. Eligibility
    6. 20.5. Arranging activities
    7. 20.6. Provision of Skills Development and Training
    8. 20.7. Managing work health and safety and incidents
    9. 20.8. Managing/Monitoring activities
    10. 20.9. Participant Completion of Activities
    11. 20.10. Work for the Dole Payments
    12. 20.11. Progress Payments
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 21.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 21.2. Benefits of Voluntary Work Placements
    4. 21.3. Role of Providers
    5. 21.4. Eligibility
    6. 21.5. Arranging Placements
    7. 21.6. Work Health and Safety
    8. 21.7. Managing Provider Sourced Voluntary Work Placements
    9. 21.8. Monitoring the Provider Sourced Voluntary Work Placement
    10. 21.9. Participant Completion of Placement
    11. 21.10. Progress Payments
    1. 22.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 22.2. Background
    3. 22.3. Benefits of the Local Jobs Program
    4. 22.4. Local Jobs Program Activities
    5. 22.5. Eligibility
    6. 22.6. Local Jobs Program Activity Hosts
    7. 22.7. Role of Providers
    8. 22.8. Referral to a Local Jobs Program Activity
    9. 22.9. Work Health and Safety and Incidents
    10. 22.10. Payments
    1. 23.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 23.2. Background
    3. 23.3. Role of Providers
    4. 23.4. Eligibility
    5. 23.5. Collaboration with Workforce Specialists
    6. 23.6. Expressions of Interest for a Workforce Specialist Project
    7. 23.7. Payments
    1. 24.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 24.2. Background
    3. 24.3. Benefits to Participants
    4. 24.4. Role of Providers
    5. 24.5. Eligibility
    6. 24.6. Collaboration with Launch into Work Organisations
    7. 24.7. Activity management
    8. 24.8. Payments
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 25.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 25.2. Eligible Education and training courses
    4. 25.3. Approval of a course of study
    5. 25.4. Role of Providers
    6. 25.5. Payments
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 26.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 26.2. Background
    4. 26.3. Benefits of SEE
    5. 26.4. Role of Providers
    6. 26.5. Eligibility
    7. 26.6. Referral to SEE
    8. 26.7. Monitoring Placements
    9. 26.8. Completion of SEE
    10. 26.9. Payments
    11. 26.10. Transfer arrangements
    1. 27.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 27.2. Background
    3. 27.3. Benefits of the AMEP
    4. 27.4. Role of Providers
    5. 27.5. Eligibility
    6. 27.6. Payments
    7. 27.7. Further Information
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 28.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 28.2. Role of Providers
    4. 28.3. Eligibility
    5. 28.4. Payments
    6. 28.5. Non-Government Programs
    7. 28.6. Non-vocational assistance and interventions
    8. 28.7. Australian Defence Force Reserves
    9. 28.8. Other government programs
    1. 29.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 29.2. Licensing Standards Pre-requisite
    3. 29.3. Provider Performance Framework
    4. 29.4. Performance Thresholds
    5. 29.5. Release of Performance Ratings
    6. 29.6. Provider under-performance
    7. 29.7. Periodic Review of Provider Performance Framework
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 30.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 30.2. QAF Certification
    4. 30.3. The Quality Standards
    5. 30.4. Quality Principles
    6. 30.5. Quality Principles Initial Certification and Recertification Audits
    7. 30.6. Initial and Recertification Audit Non-conformances
    8. 30.7. Surveillance Audits
    9. 30.8. Failure to obtain QAF Initial Certification
    10. 30.9. Suspension of QAF Certification
    11. Attachment 30A. Quality Principles
    1. 31.1. Chapter Overview
    2. 31.2. Licence Review
    3. 31.3. Novations
    1. Supporting Documents for this Chapter:
    2. 32.1. Chapter Overview
    3. 32.2. Provider Eligibility
    4. 32.3. Eligible Reimbursement Expenses
    5. 32.4. Ineligible Reimbursement Expenses
    6. 32.5. Lodging Claim for Reimbursement
    7. 32.6. Documentary Evidence
    8. 32.7. Assessment of Reimbursement

Operational areas

ServiceCite-curated

A ServiceCite grouping of the same chapters by what teams use them for. The Department does not publish the Guidelines under these headings.

Access and participant lifecycle

How people enter Workforce Australia Services and how servicing starts, moves, pauses and ends. Covers eligibility, referral, direct registration, assessments, commencements, transfers, suspensions and exits, and entry arrangements for specific cohorts.

Activities and complementary programs

The activity options providers draw on. Covers Employability Skills Training, Career Transition Assistance, Work for the Dole, voluntary work, observational work experience, education and training pathways and other activities.