Why do we need a National Plan?

3.2 The National Mature Age Workforce Participation Plan (the National Plan) can build on and bring together the significant work undertaken to date. There have been a number of inquiries and reports directed towards Australia’s ageing population, as outlined in Chapter 1. Many of these have addressed workforce participation and related issues such as discrimination, education, skills and training.[1] As a result, an evidence-based plan for addressing barriers to workforce participation for mature age persons could be developed using the recommendations in this Report and existing sources.

3.3 National plans to guide reform and action have facilitated long-term strategic and whole-of-government responses to a diverse range of issues.[2] It is this type of approach that is required to address barriers to workforce participation for mature age persons. These barriers are both legal and cultural and require complex and diverse legal and policy responses. A National Plan would provide a framework for action, identifying priority reform areas, performance indicators and appropriate responsibility and oversight for such reform.

3.4 The purposes of this National Plan would be to:

  • establish a national policy framework to guide government, industry and community policies, initiatives and programs with respect to the workforce participation of mature age persons;

  • outline a plan for action by government and the community; and

  • establish specific performance indicators and monitoring mechanisms to ensure accountability and establish a basis for measuring progress.

3.5 The National Plan would complement a number of existing national plans and strategies, including those in relation to workforce development, caring and disability. For example, the National Workforce Development Strategy addresses issues such as productive workplaces; transitions between education, training and work; tertiary education and training sectors; and regional development.[3] In addition, the National Carer Strategy gives effect to the principles of the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cth) and complements the National Disability Strategy.[4] It contains a number of priority action areas and is supported by an Action Plan, an Implementation Plan and annual progress reports.[5]

[1] See, eg, The Treasury, Intergenerational Report 2002–03 (2002); The Treasury, Intergenerational Report 2007 (2007); The Treasury, Intergenerational Report 2010—Australia to 2050: Future Challenges (2010); Productivity Commission, Economic Implications of an Ageing Australia (2005); Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians, Realising the Economic Potential of Senior Australians—Changing Face of Society (2011); Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians, Realising the Economic Potential of Senior Australians—Enabling Opportunity (2011); Advisory Panel on the Economic Potential of Senior Australians, Realising the Economic Potential of Senior Australians—Turning Grey into Gold (2011); National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre, Ageing and the Barriers to Labour Force Participation in Australia (2011), prepared for the Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation; National Seniors Productive Ageing Centre, Barriers to Mature Age Employment: Final Report of the Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation (2012), prepared for the Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation.

[2] See, eg, National Council to Reduce Violence Against Women, National Plan to Reduce Violence Against Women and Their Children 2010–2022 (2011). The inquiry that led to the report, Australian Law Reform Commission, Family Violence and Commonwealth Laws—Improving Legal Frameworks, ALRC Report 117 (2011), was one of the strategies for action under the preliminary work undertaken by the National Council: National Council to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, Time for Action: The National Council’s Plan for Australia to Reduce Violence against Women and their Children, 2009–2021 (2009).

[3] Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency, Future Focus: 2013 National Workforce Development Strategy (2013), 75–77.

[4] Australian Government, National Disability Strategy 2010–2020 (2010); Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cth).

[5] Australian Government, National Carer Strategy (2011); Australian Government, National Carer Strategy Action Plan 2011–2014; Australian Government, National Carer Strategy Progress Report 2011–2012.