Kingsford Smith · Federal Election · Jobs Policy

Real Skills.
Real Jobs.
Real Results.

Billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on private employment agencies that shuffle Australians between tick-box programs without ever getting them into work. Adam Watson will shut down the rorts, bring employment services back under the Commonwealth, and give every unemployed Australian the skills, licences, and opportunities they actually need.

Read the Policy ↓
~900K
Australians on JobSeeker
$3B+
Annual spend on private employment agencies
5 yrs
Average time for long-term unemployed
$0
Cost to jobseeker for tickets & TAFE under our plan
The Broken System
Private employment agencies have consumed billions in public funds and left hundreds of thousands of Australians trapped in long-term unemployment. A white card costs $180. A forklift ticket costs $500. A truck licence costs thousands. Most unemployed Australians can't afford any of them — and no one is helping them get there.
What Went Wrong

A System That Fails Australians

The Commonwealth has outsourced its employment responsibilities to a patchwork of private agencies and charities. The results speak for themselves — and they are damning.

01 🪙
Locked Out by Cost

A white card, forklift ticket, truck licence, TAFE course — the credentials employers demand are unaffordable for people on JobSeeker. The system expects Australians to compete for jobs they can't qualify for, with money they don't have.

02 🏚️
No Stable Housing Base

You cannot build a working life without a roof over your head. Migrant housing demand is squeezing Australians out of the rental market — and the government is doing nothing to prioritise citizens and permanent residents first.

03 🏢
Private Agencies Profit From Failure

Employment service providers are paid to manage caseloads, not to get people into jobs. The incentive structure rewards compliance — not outcomes. Billions are spent on executive salaries, administration, and tick-box programs.

04 📋
Rubbish Skills, No Real Opportunities

Generic "work-readiness" courses that don't lead to jobs. Resume workshops that don't reflect real employer needs. Government jobs advertised publicly before being offered to qualified Australians already in the system. It is a charade.

The Policy

Five Pillars of Real Reform

Adam Watson's jobs policy is built around one principle: give every unemployed Australian the actual tools they need to get and keep a real job. No middlemen. No bureaucratic waste. No excuses.

1
Structural Reform
Shut Down Private Employment Agencies — Rebuild the CES
Terminate All Contracts
Every Commonwealth contract with private and charity-run employment agencies will be terminated on a responsible 12-month transition timeline. The era of outsourced obligation ends.
Rebuild the CES Under Services Australia
The Commonwealth Employment Service will be re-established as a direct Commonwealth function within Services Australia — accountable to Parliament, not to shareholders.
Redirect the Billions
Savings from eliminating provider overhead, executive salaries, and compliance bureaucracy will be reinvested directly into jobseeker skilling, TAFE partnerships, and licencing programs.
2
Skills & Licencing
Real Skills, Paid for by Government — No Cost to the Jobseeker
Professional Resume First
Every CES participant receives a professionally prepared resume at first contact. This is where employment readiness begins — not with a tick-box compliance form.
Government-Funded Licences & Tickets
White Card, Forklift Licence, Truck Licence (MR/HR/HC/MC), Driver's Licence, Boilermaker's Ticket, Dump Truck & Heavy Plant Operator Licence — fully funded, no cost to the jobseeker.
Free TAFE & Trade Qualifications
Certificate III/IV trade qualifications, health & community services courses, and any nationally accredited qualification matched to genuine labour market demand — fully funded. No fees, no HELP debt.
Skills Matched to Real Demand
Skills packages will be tailored to local and national employer demand — not generic programs designed to meet compliance metrics. Whether it's hospitals, construction, or logistics — we train for what's actually needed.
3
Government Employment
Government Jobs First — Australians at the Front of the Queue
Priority Before External Advertising
All Commonwealth and government-owned entity vacancies will be offered to qualified CES participants before being advertised externally. Australians who are ready to work get first access.
Infrastructure & Construction
Government infrastructure and construction projects will prioritise CES-qualified participants for trade, labour, and operations roles. This is sovereign investment in Australian workers.
Health, Aged Care & Community
Hospital, aged care, and community health roles will be filled by CES participants once the relevant certificates are obtained — solving two problems at once: unemployment and workforce shortages in critical sectors.
4
Defence Pathway
A Real Pathway into the Australian Defence Force
ADF Enlistment Pathway Program
For eligible Australians who want it, the CES will provide a dedicated ADF pathway — partnering with Defence Recruiting Australia to identify, prepare, and shepherd willing candidates through enlistment.
Pre-Enlistment Preparation
Fitness preparation, medical readiness support, literacy and numeracy coaching, and veteran liaison mentoring — all provided through CES so that cost and preparation are never a barrier to service.
Career, Housing & Purpose
The ADF offers a career, income security, housing, and purpose — and many long-term unemployed Australians are exactly the candidates Defence needs. We will connect these two national needs.
5
Housing & Stability
Stable Housing as the Foundation for a Working Life
Australians First in Social Housing
Social housing priority will be given to Australian citizens and permanent residents actively engaged in CES skilling programs. Migrant demand cannot continue to crowd out Australians who are trying to get back on their feet.
Transitional Housing for CES Participants
Unhoused Australians who enter the CES will receive transitional housing support — a stable base from which to train, job-seek, and rebuild. You cannot look for work from a park bench.
Housing Stability as Employment Policy
The CES will treat housing security as a precondition for employment readiness — not an afterthought. Stable housing is the first rung of the ladder. We will make sure every Australian can reach it.
The Numbers
"This is not spending — it is investment. And it pays for itself."
— Adam Watson, Candidate for Kingsford Smith
  • The Commonwealth spends over $3 billion per year on private employment services — redirecting this into direct skills delivery, TAFE, and licencing produces a net budget saving.
  • Every Australian moved from income support into sustained employment saves the Commonwealth $20,000–$30,000 per year in welfare payments — while adding income tax and GST revenue.
  • Getting 50,000 Australians into sustained employment represents a budget improvement of over $1 billion annually.
  • Eliminating provider overhead, executive salaries, and compliance bureaucracy frees up hundreds of millions for direct jobseeker investment.
  • Annual CES transparency reports will publicly track jobs secured, licences issued, and savings achieved — full accountability to taxpayers.
What Changes

Out With the Waste, In With Real Investment

Under our plan, every dollar currently going to middlemen goes directly to Australians. Here is exactly what gets cut and what gets built.

Area ❌ Eliminated (Current System) ✓ Invested (Watson Policy)
Service Delivery Out Private employment agency contracts In Direct Commonwealth Employment Service
Skills Training Out Generic work-readiness courses In Real licences, tickets & TAFE qualifications — free
Jobs Access Out Open advertising for government jobs In CES participants get first priority for government roles
Funding Flow Out Corporate provider executive salaries & overhead In Direct investment in jobseeker skills & licencing
Housing Out No priority for Australians in social housing queue In Australians first — stable housing as employment foundation
Defence Out No systematic pathway to ADF for unemployed Australians In Dedicated ADF Enlistment Pathway Program via CES
Accountability Out Provider-reported compliance data, minimal transparency In Annual public CES outcome reports — jobs, licences, savings
Implementation

A Clear Plan, A Clear Timeline

Adam Watson's jobs policy is not aspirational — it is a concrete plan with a sequenced, accountable implementation schedule.

Days 1–100
Phase One — Foundation
Re-establish the Commonwealth Employment Service
Within the first 100 days of government, legislation will be introduced to re-establish the CES within Services Australia. The 12-month transition timeline for private employment agency contracts commences. CES leadership is appointed. TAFE partnership framework is established.
CES Legislation Contract Transition Begins TAFE Framework
Months 6–12
Phase Two — Transition
CES Opens — Skills Delivery Begins
CES offices open in all major employment markets. All new jobseeker registrations handled by CES. Skills assessment begins for existing caseload. Government job vacancy referrals commence. Licencing and TAFE enrollments commence. ADF Pathway Program launches in partnership with Defence Recruiting Australia.
CES Operational Licencing Program Live ADF Pathway Launches Gov Jobs Priority Active
Year 1–2
Phase Three — Full Operation
Private Agency Contracts Fully Terminated
All private employment agency contracts expire and are not renewed. The CES is the single point of Commonwealth employment service delivery. Full skilling and licencing pipeline operating. Social housing priority framework for CES participants operating in conjunction with state housing authorities. First annual CES transparency report published.
Agency Contracts Ended Housing Priority Active First Annual Report
Years 3–5
Phase Four — Outcomes & Refinement
Measurable Results — Budget Savings Realised
With tens of thousands of Australians moved into sustained employment, welfare savings and tax revenue gains begin to substantially offset the investment in CES. Annual reporting documents the case for a sovereign employment service versus the outsourced model. Skills pipeline is refined based on live employer demand data. A productive, self-sufficient workforce is being built.
Budget Savings Confirmed Skills Pipeline Refined Workforce Outcomes Tracked
Kingsford Smith · Federal Election

Australia Doesn't Have a Skills Shortage.
It Has a System That Refuses to Train the People We Already Have.

Kingsford Smith is home to Sydney Airport, Port Botany, and thousands of working families who deserve a government that invests in Australians first. Adam Watson will take this policy to Canberra and fight for it.

Download Policy PDF
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