Sometimes we start out to do something one way and then find upon reflection, it isn’t quite working.This is story is an example of one of the changes we made. Community-led projects such as GameChange share ownership, with people collaborating from across the jobs and skills system (including employees, jobseekers, employers, training/education organisations, service providers and community organisations) to design programs, map the issues and create/test solutions.
The GameChange initiative’s decision-making, values and activities are guided by community and the voice of lived experience, with contributions from jobseekers and priority community groups including culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD), youth, women, people who have been unemployed for a long time and those who have experienced challenges in pursuing employment opportunities. GameChange regularly take stocks and make checks to see if the activities are progressing the way we thought they would. When we find something that doesn’t make sense, we adapt and change so that we’re ensuring everything we do is relevant for community.
One of the ways diverse contributions have been included is through five Priority Action Groups – with the priorities chosen in mid-2022 by community. Launched in September 2022 and meeting at least monthly, these community stakeholder groups help design and implement pilot programs, case studies and test-and-try projects that have been identified as areas needing change. Jobseekers were recruited to each of the groups and supported through a capacity building program (Emerging Voices) to help build confidence and ensure their voice, ideas and thoughts were heard and considered fairly when working in the groups.
A regular temperature check is always needed to keep focused and engaged in the right places and the GameChange initiative captures data to monitor progress, establishing what’s working and where we can improve. As a result of one of our recent collective health data surveys, some results indicated that the voice of lived experience across our Priority Action groups was not as deep as it should be. We reflected on this - it can occur naturally when people move on, attain work, face other priorities, or feel like their voice isn’t being heard. We then sought other ways for jobseekers to engage that, while retaining influence and decision-making rights, make it safer to engage and be heard.
Given the importance of having lived experience at the centre of the initiative’s activities, it was suggested that there may be more value in setting up an advisory or reference group that would be referred to for all decision making on activities and funding in association with the GameChange initiative and its Leadership Table.
As a result, a ‘Jobseeker Reference Group’ will be established to amplify the voice of lived experience, provide a direct line of decision making between the PAGs, Leadership Table, and GameChange team and review all activities posed by the working groups. The reference group will embody a community-led and systems thinking approach – being more effective in addressing the employment challenges in our community to all stakeholders.
With exciting projects now taking shape in each of the Priority Action Groups, we will take these designs and plans to the Jobseeker Reference Group to enable more feedback and contribution to the work we are undertaking. This will ensure that community needs are met and incorporated into the projects and pilots that we are testing/trying and learning from to help shape a better employment system.
To form the group, we reached out to our colleagues, community, and business networks as well as employment agencies, Workforce Australia, and Jobs Victoria to seek interest from jobseekers in the reference group. New members are always welcome (and needed!) so that we have an ongoing membership contributing their insights into our regional employment challenges. Our first information session was held on Monday 20 March 2023. If you would like to join, or have colleagues that may like to contribute, please reach out to the team via email, gamechange@cgd.vic.gov.au
