Re-anchoring Australia’s Skills System on Human Agency
Submission: Review of the effectiveness of the Operations of the Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022
From: Greg Twemlow
Date: 20 September 2025
Executive summary (≈200 words)
Australia’s skills challenges won’t be solved by more courses alone. It will be solved by enhancing human Agency: people’s ability to decide a direction, make choices, and act. When Agency is supported with clear steps, confidence, and practical help, people commence sooner, complete at higher rates, and enter work faster. International evidence supports my claim regarding the role of Agency. The OECD Learning Compass places student agency at the centre of future-ready learning. A meta-analysis of 47 job-search interventions found participants were 2.67× more likely to obtain employment when programs boosted self-efficacy, goal-setting and proactivity. Meta-analytic work on persistence shows academic self-efficacy is a strong predictor of retention and performance, which tracks with higher completion (see Sources/URLs — International Evidence and Research). On the systems side, recognition of prior learning and credit transfer are embedded in Australia’s VET standards; when used well they reduce duplication, shorten pathways and lower out-of-pocket cost — practical levers that move people from decision to first day faster.
The current system is complex, but there’s a practical throughline. JSA already publishes where the gaps are — priority-occupation lists, shortage analyses, regional dashboards and cohort studies. When one of these signals appears, DEWR can pair it with a visible, time-boxed response and report three human measures: time of decision to action, cost to pivot, and confidence to continue. Quarter by quarter, the public can see how friction is coming down and where confidence is rising. Over eighteen to thirty-six months, the benefits become structural: earlier commencements, higher completion and retention, steadier incomes, and a system that remains navigable as work and training keep changing.
A system built on Agency diversifies ways in. Instead of one narrow on-ramp, people can start through recognition of prior learning, short skill boosts, earn-and-learn placements or full qualifications. When we diversify entry points, supports and evidence, time to the first day falls, costs drop, and confidence rises — especially for cohorts who face the heaviest friction.
This approach will work for people who face extra barriers. From the start, the three measures are disaggregated by cohort and region, and pilots are co-designed with First Nations communities, people with disability, culturally and linguistically diverse learners, women returning to work, young people, mature-age workers, and recent migrants/international graduates. The point is simple: reduce time, cost and uncertainty for those with the heaviest friction, then scale what works.
I am available to brief DEWR SES leaders on a 30-minute call to walk through the measures and the two pilots. If useful, I will share playbooks, consent language, and an open-data template so a first trial can begin within a quarter using existing levers.
Definitions
Agency: a person’s capacity to set a goal, choose a path, and take the next step. Observed through three practical signals in a transition: the date a person takes the decisive first step, the cost to switch (out-of-pocket plus lost income), and the confidence to continue.
(Transition) Friction: the practical drag people experience when moving between jobs, sectors or studies. Time means weeks from the decision to the first day in the new job or training. Cost means out-of-pocket expenses plus lost income during the switch. Confidence means the change in clarity, support and perceived risk, tracked with short check-ins. High friction slows or stops transitions even when courses and jobs exist; lower friction lifts completions, hiring and productivity.
My Relevant Experience and Perspectives
My focus is on the intersection of skills, experiential learning and career transitions. I design and deliver hands-on programs that end with a team-made artifact and clear next actions. Examples include the Impact Blueprint workshop for Year-10 students and the Future Path Playbook for SMEs. Both are instrumented for outcomes, not optics. I have built transformative assessment models that make agency, problem definition, collaboration and confidence visible and coachable, and my recent work formalises the role of the Problem Definition Architect (PDA) as an upstream capability that reduces waste and accelerates transitions when collaborating with AI. I have authored long-form analyses on career disruption, learning as self-authorship and AI-enabled transitions. Selected publications with annotations and keywords are listed in Appendix A.
What I bring to this Review
A learner-first lens: co-design with learners, job-seekers and workers in transition, not only institutions.
Instrumentation: report three human measures: time from decision to first day, cost to switch, and confidence to continue.
Proven Playbooks: plug-and-play pilots (school and SME) that DEWR and JSA can run, measure and scale inside existing levers.
Implementation Approach
The approach is modular and within current powers. Start with targeted trials or light process upgrades and scale only if evidence supports it. No new legislation is required. Each trial can pre-register three simple measures (time from decision to first day, cost to switch, confidence to continue), is co-designed with the relevant cohort so real constraints are addressed, and is time-boxed up to twelve weeks with a short public endline note. Accessibility and cultural safety are treated as non-negotiables: Auslan or interpreter support where needed, Easy Read and plain-English materials, WCAG-compliant digital access, and options for part-time or blended participation. The habit is to learn in quarters and publish what changed.
Context
JSA’s legislated functions include labour-market and skills advice, capacity and cohort studies, data collection and publication, and the Annual Work Plan and Jobs & Skills Report. Section 10 consultation spans governments, employers, unions, providers and other persons or bodies; in practice, learners, job-seekers and workers in transition are not consistently treated as first-order stakeholders. The Review highlights effectiveness, timeliness, accessibility and stakeholder practice as core tests, with attention to skills shortages and priority occupations using robust labour-market intelligence, including nowcasting.
Equity by Design: What Changes in Practice
For cohorts who carry the highest friction, practical adjustments are made at entry, not as exceptions later. Examples include flexible timetables and split-shift placements; recognition-of-prior-learning first, with gap-training only; transport, childcare or carer subsidies when the income gap would otherwise block commencement; assistive technology and accessible venues as standard; culturally safe facilitation with community partners; and remote or hybrid options for regional participants. These are small changes that move the first-day date forward and lower the cost to switch without lowering standards.
Recommendation 1: Agency as a core outcome
The system should aim to grow Agency and show that growth publicly over time. This is not a new program; it is a small outcome standard that travels with existing programs. Alongside enrolments and completions, JSA and DEWR report three practical signals that make movement visible: time from decision to first day, the cost to switch, and a brief confidence check at the start and end. Quarter by quarter, the public sees where time and costs are coming down and where confidence is rising. Over eighteen to thirty-six months, the structural benefits become clear: earlier commencements, higher completion and retention, steadier earnings recovery, and a system that is easier to navigate as work and training keep changing.
Equity is explicit: time, cost and confidence are reported by cohort and region, with short commentary on what changed where gaps closed. Providers are encouraged to reuse the adjustments that closed gaps so improvements compound over time.
Agency grows when the system diversifies entry points, supports and evidence.
Recommendation 2: Timeliness within a quarter
Advice is most valuable inside the decision window. When choosing which signals to act on first, prioritise pathways where disadvantaged cohorts face the longest delays or highest costs; publish the reason for the choice in one plain-English line. The Department and JSA can publish an indicative response window alongside major signals and, where feasible, aim to act within a quarter. Start with a small set of signals and expand if the evidence supports it. The point is a visible habit of timely action, not a rigid rule. The near-term effect is momentum for learners and employers; the long-term effect is trust that signals reliably turn into action while existing approvals and governance remain intact.
Recommendation 3: Learners and job-seekers as first-order stakeholders
Stakeholder practice should recognise learners, job-seekers and workers in transition as first-order stakeholders alongside governments, employers, unions and providers. This is a principle, not a process manual. Co-design includes First Nations organisations, disability advocates and community groups where relevant. Major studies and work-plan items simply show who was listened to, what constraints surfaced, and what changed as a result. In practice this means childcare and carer-aware scheduling, options for part-time and modular entry, RPL-first pathways, accessible information and venues, and translation or interpreter support where needed. Over time this lowers drop-off at entry and raises completion and retention without adding bureaucracy.
Two pilots to show, not tell
Future Path Playbook (SMEs) is a one-day, nine-cell team workshop that converts strategy fog into 90-day experiments; it is instrumented for time, cost and confidence and targets shortage-exposed roles. Impact Blueprint (Years 10–11) is a two-day experiential program with AI co-facilitation; cohorts of 18–48 complete a public artifact and receive rubric-based formative assessment. Both pilots fit inside current levers and can start promptly.
Implementation Map (0–36 months)
Setup and baselines: publish an accessibility and cultural-safety note for each pilot (what supports are offered; how to request adjustments).
Scale what works: tie a small share of payments to friction drops for priority cohorts specifically, with providers documenting the adjustments that delivered the change. Setup and baselines through Q1 2026 establish measures, stand up a small learner and worker panel, run the first two time-boxed pilots, and publish a short Transition Friction annex. Prove and publish through the rest of 2026 with two additional pilot waves, quarterly friction snapshots by region and priority cohort, and 6- and 12-month follow-ups for the earliest cohorts. Scale what works during 2027 by expanding pilots that beat thresholds, retiring those that do not, and tying a small share of payments to friction drops and progression outcomes. Normalise and embed in 2028 by making friction reporting a standard annex to the Jobs & Skills Report, baking a quarterly Sense–Test–Scale cycle into the Work Plan, and maintaining co-design as business-as-usual in Section 10 practice. Across this period, the equity lens is explicit: all measures are disaggregated by priority cohorts, and gaps are tracked.
Closing stance
Australia will meet its skills challenge when we expand Agency and minimse Transition Friction. Using the existing instruments — the Annual Work Plan, the Jobs & Skills Report and consultation guidance — we can start modestly, evaluate, and scale what works. I propose a short SES-level briefing to agree a first pair of pilots and a light reporting annex; if agreed, materials and open-data templates can be provided immediately.
Sources / URLs
Primary sources (DEWR)
Programs and Initiatives (master index): https://www.dewr.gov.au/programs-initiatives
Workforce Australia (overview): https://www.dewr.gov.au/workforce-australia
Workforce Australia — Employment Services (replaced Jobactive on 4 July 2022): https://www.dewr.gov.au/workforce-australia-employment-services
Jobs and Skills Councils (overview): https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/jobs-and-skills-councils
Local Jobs Program: https://www.dewr.gov.au/local-jobs
National Skills Agreement (NSA): https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/national-skills-agreement
National Skills Plan (under the NSA): https://www.dewr.gov.au/national-skills-agreement/national-skills-plan
Fee-Free TAFE (overview): https://www.dewr.gov.au/fee-free-tafe
AI Transparency Statement (DEWR): https://www.dewr.gov.au/about-department/corporate-reporting/dewr-ai-transparency-statement
Review of the Jobs and Skills Australia Act (Review hub): https://www.dewr.gov.au/skills-and-training/skills-research-and-reviews/review-jobs-and-skills-australia-act
International Evidence and Research
Job-search interventions (47 studies; 2.67× employment odds; components = self-efficacy, goal-setting, proactivity)
• Liu, S., Huang, J. L., & Wang, M. (2014). Effectiveness of job search interventions: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 140(4), 1009–1041. Odds of obtaining employment were 2.67× higher for participants; most effective programs boosted self-efficacy, encouraged proactivity, and promoted goal-setting.
Academic self-efficacy and persistence/performance (meta-analytic evidence)
• Robbins, S. B., et al. (2004). Do psychosocial and study skill factors predict college outcomes? A meta-analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 130(2), 261–288. Academic self-efficacy shows moderate associations with retention and strong associations with GPA, even after controlling for prior achievement.
• Robbins, S. B., et al. (2009). Intervention effects on college performance and retention as mediated by motivational, emotional, and social control factors: Integrated meta-analytic path analyses. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(5), 1163–1184. Interventions that strengthen motivational/self-management factors (including self-efficacy) improve retention and performance.
OECD Learning Compass 2030: https://www.oecd.org/en/data/tools/oecd-learning-compass-2030.html
OECD Future of Education and Skills 2030: https://www.oecd.org/education/2030-project/
Meta-analysis of job-search interventions via self-efficacy and goal-setting (Liu et al., 2014): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24588365/
Consultation paper (uploaded by submitter)
Review of the effectiveness of the operations of the Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022 — Consultation Paper.
Appendix A — Selected publications and evidence (annotated)
A1. Liberation Is the Ability to Self-Determine Your Path in Life — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/liberation-is-the-ability-to-self-determine-your-path-in-life-91a6176ea470
Evaluation and reporting: Learner agency and authored pathways improve transition outcomes; frames careers disruption as a design problem, not just a training problem.
Keywords: learner agency; transitions; participation; productivity; career disruption. Supports: Stakeholder engagement; ToR 3.
A2. A Rational Audit of Traditional Institutionalised Learning and AI-Powered Learning — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/a-rational-audit-of-school-vs-ai-powered-learning-c07ad6d04c4b
Evaluation and reporting: Compares legacy instruction with experiential, AI-supported learning; argues for measuring confidence and time to first day as core outcomes.
Keywords: quality; accessibility; timeliness; AI in learning; time-to-employment; confidence. Supports: Evaluation and reporting; ToR 2.
A3. Revolutionising Learning: Transforming Corporate Training with the Adaptive Skills Pathway© — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/revolutionizing-learning-transforming-corporate-training-with-the-adaptive-skills-pathway-dd056ef867d1 Medium, and, Unlock the Future of Learning with your Adaptive Skills Pathway© — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/unlock-the-future-of-learning-with-your-adaptive-skills-pathway-0783189a1104
Assessment and VET quality: Operational model for formative assessment of agency, collaboration, problem definition; includes rubrics used in workshops.
Keywords: VET quality; foundation skills; formative assessment; completion and retention. Supports: Sense → Test → Scale; ToR 1–2.
A4. Future Path Playbook: 90-Day Experiments for SMEs — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/the-future-path-playbook-align-your-team-and-unlock-your-businesss-full-potential-be3140c76b8d
Annual Work Plan pilot: Evidence that a one-day, nine-cell process reduces dithering and accelerates 90-day pilots; includes metrics (time, cost, confidence).
Keywords: pilots; place-based initiatives; SMEs; implementation timelines. Supports: Sense → Test → Scale; ToR 1–2.
A5. XperientialAI’s Student Skills Program: “Impact Blueprint: Innovate Your Future©” — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/xperientialais-student-skills-program-impact-blueprint-innovate-your-future-6684b55031e1 Medium, and, • Impact Blueprint explainer: The Hidden Source of Innovation No One Is Tapping — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/the-hidden-source-of-innovation-no-one-is-tapping-bbb841b69bf7
School-to-work pathways with public artefacts and rubric-based feedback; scalable cohorts (18–48).
Keywords: youth employment; school-to-work; foundation skills; public reporting. Supports: Pilots and co-design; ToR 1–3.
A6. In 2025, AI is Teaching Us About the Value of Effort — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/in-2025-ai-is-teaching-us-about-the-value-of-effort-90cb086cf6a6 Medium
Future of work and planning: Why “too good to be human” thinking matters; links self-efficacy, authored standards and Agency.
Keywords: workforce forecasting; priority occupations; PDA; innovation capability. Supports: Sense → Test → Scale; ToR 1–2.
A7. Problem Definition Architect (PDA): The Missing Capability in Skills Policy — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/fifthsense-problem-definition-architect-playbook-3251c38ef9c9, and, Additional PDA reference: Prompt Engineering has Transformed into Problem Definition Architecting — https://gregtwemlow.medium.com/prompt-engineering-has-transformed-into-problem-definition-architecting-b1fc0c7a3bb9
Micro-credentials and RPL: Case for PDA as a cross-system micro-credential linked to Jobs and Skills Councils and shortage roles.
Keywords: micro-credentials; RPL; Jobs and Skills Councils; demand–supply alignment. Supports: Pilots and VET pathways; ToR 1.
Annex B — Implementation notes (optional, for submission reviewers who want details)
- Metrics
Equity lens: report medians and deltas by cohort (First Nations; disability; women returning to work; youth; mature-age; recent migrants/international graduates). Track gap-to-median for each measure. For disability, record whether reasonable adjustments or assistive tech were provided; for regional participants, record additional travel time or cost. Where consent allows, follow up at 6 and 12 months on 90-day and 12-month retention and earnings stability by cohort. - Time: decision to first day (measured in days; median by cohort and region).
- Cost: out-of-pocket plus estimated lost income during the switch (median by cohort and region).
- Confidence: 3-item check-ins at start, midpoint and end of a transition; report change score.
- Pilot cadence
- Quarterly intakes. Maximum 12 weeks per pilot. Pre-register outcomes. If thresholds are met, scale the next quarter; if not, retire or redesign.
- Panel composition (tripartite-plus)
- 12–16 members; mix of learners, job-seekers, workers in transition, employers, unions, providers, and regional voices. Paid honoraria. Publish who was consulted and what changed.
- Open data and privacy
- Publish aggregated Friction Index via CSV and a simple API. Apply confidentiality and consent consistent with DEWR’s AI transparency posture and whole-of-government guidance.
Annex C — Equity and accessibility checklist for pilots
Entry and information
• Plain-English and Easy Read versions; translated summaries where needed
• WCAG-compliant digital materials; offline option for low-bandwidth contexts
• Clear opt-in consent; simple privacy notice; named contact for adjustments
Participation
• Interpreter or Auslan support on request; captioned video sessions
• Accessible venues and transport guidance; option for remote or hybrid participation
• Flexible timetables, part-time and modular entry; split-shift placements
Supports and costs
• RPL-first assessment; stackable micro-credentials for gap-training
• Small grants or vouchers for childcare/carer time, transport, equipment, or assistive tech
• Clear statement of out-of-pocket costs and estimated income-gap weeks up front
Cultural safety and partnership
• Co-design with relevant community partners; First Nations cultural authority where applicable
• Trauma-informed facilitation where cohorts have high exposure to displacement or disadvantage
• Publish what changed as a result of co-design
Reporting
• Disaggregate time, cost, confidence by cohort and region
• Note which specific adjustments correlated with friction drops
• Share de-identified data via CSV and/or a secure API
Procurement language — one sentence you can reuse anywhere for pilot procurements, preference proposals that demonstrate cohort co-design, list concrete accessibility adjustments, and commit to reporting time, cost and confidence by cohort.
Implementation Rule of three
Start small. Prove value. Scale what works.
Thank you for considering this submission. I would welcome the chance to discuss these ideas and to support small pilots within existing settings. I consent to the publication of this submission, and I have no conflicts of interest to declare.
Contact: greg@fusionbridge.org | 0412555416 | St Leonards 2065
FAQs for DEWR/JSA reviewers
- What problem are you trying to solve in one line?
People can’t move fast enough between roles, sectors or study because the system hides the real blockers: time from decision to first day, cost to switch, and confidence to continue. Make those visible; reduce them quarter by quarter. - Why focus on agency instead of commissioning more courses?
Courses matter, but agency is the precondition for uptake and completion. When the system lowers time, cost and uncertainty, commencements rise, completions improve and people enter work faster. - What exactly are the three “human measures”?
Time from decision to first day, cost to switch (out-of-pocket plus income-gap), and a brief confidence check at start and end. Two dates, one dollar figure, one tiny check-in. - How does this avoid extra red tape?
Keep collection to the minimum viable set embedded in existing touchpoints; publish medians by cohort and region; share a short endline note after each 12-week pilot. - Why “aim to act within a quarter”?
It aligns with budgeting/reporting rhythms and keeps advice inside decision windows. Start with a small set of signals; expand only if evidence supports. - What’s new here for equity and priority cohorts?
Equity is designed in, not bolted on: disaggregate all three measures by cohort; co-design with First Nations organisations, disability advocates and community partners; publish what adjustments closed gaps. - Give examples of “practical adjustments” that shift the first-day date.
Flexible timetables, split-shift placements, RPL-first with gap-training only, small childcare/transport supports, accessible venues and materials, interpreter/Auslan support, remote/hybrid options. - What are the two ready pilots?
Future Path Playbook (SMEs): a one-day, nine-cell method that converts strategy fog into 90-day experiments, instrumented for time, cost and confidence. Impact Blueprint (Years 10–11): a two-day experiential program with AI co-facilitation, public artefact and rubric-based assessment. Both fit inside current levers. - How do JSA “signals” translate into action under this approach?
When a priority-occupation or shortage signal appears, DEWR pairs it with a visible, time-boxed response and reports the three measures; prioritise pathways where disadvantaged cohorts face the longest delays or costs. - Does this require new legislation or major systems builds?
No. It runs through the Annual Work Plan, the Jobs & Skills Report, Section 10 engagement and existing program settings, with a simple open-data export (CSV/API) for aggregated results. - What does the 0–36 month path look like?
Set baselines and run two pilots; publish quarterly friction snapshots; scale what works in 2027; embed friction reporting as a standard annex and normalise Sense–Test–Scale in 2028. - How do you protect privacy and accessibility?
Use plain-English consent; publish aggregated, de-identified data via CSV/API; follow DEWR’s AI transparency posture; ensure WCAG compliance, Easy Read versions and interpreter/Auslan support as required. - How will providers and employers benefit?
Earlier commencements, better fit through co-design, fewer entry drop-offs, clearer RPL pathways and faster feedback loops on what actually reduces friction in shortage-affected roles. - What’s the first practical step you’re asking SES to approve?
A 30-minute briefing to agree a pair of 12-week pilots and a light reporting annex. Playbooks, consent language and an open-data template are ready so a first trial can begin within a quarter. - What does success look like at 18–36 months?
Lower median time-to-first-day and cost-to-switch (especially for priority cohorts), higher completion and 90-day/12-month retention, and a visible habit of timely action linked to JSA signals.
Keywords & Terms
Jobs and Skills Australia Act 2022; Annual Work Plan; Jobs and Skills Report; stakeholder engagement (Section 10); independence and ministerial directions; performance, timeliness and effectiveness; skills shortages and priority occupations; labour-market intelligence and nowcasting; National Skills Agreement; VET, apprenticeships, RPL and micro-credentials; Jobs and Skills Councils; Workforce Australia; place-based initiatives; co-design with learners and job-seekers; Transition Friction (time, cost, confidence); evaluation, public reporting, open data, privacy and consent.
About the Author: Greg Twemlow — © 2025 | All rights reserved. I write at the collision points of technology, education, and human agency, including:
Learning as Self-Authorship — Becoming the author of your learning, life, and legacy.
Creativity as a Sovereign Practice — Expressing what only you can bring into the world.
Agency in an Age of Intelligent Systems — Making decisive, value-aligned choices.
Remixing the World — Transforming existing ideas into new forms that inspire thoughtful examination.
Living in Alignment — Staying in tune with your values, ethics, and the people who matter.
