9/07/2026
By Scott Parkin FIEP, Group CEO of the IEP
It was brilliant to be back in Australia connecting with friends, Fellows, Members, capability partners and strategic partners of IEP Australia.
Wet Weather, Warm Welcomes: Adelaide
Straight from a fantastic IEP Summit 2026 in the UK, I arrived in Adelaide to reconnect with Fellows, Members, partners and new colleagues from across the employability sector. Our first IEP Connect event of the trip brought together professionals from across Australia, including many who had travelled to Adelaide early ahead of the Disability Employment Australia Conference. It was a suitably casual gathering for those who either live locally or had flown in early to be with us — despite the rain here in Adelaide. There was lots of fabulous discussion and many business cards exchanged, and it was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, make new connections and exchange insights on the opportunities and challenges facing our sector.
From there, we moved into two valuable days at the Disability Employment Australia (DEA) Conference. As Australia’s leading national event for disability employment services, the conference brought together providers, policymakers, employers, government representatives and sector leaders to discuss the opportunities, challenges and innovations shaping employment outcomes for people with disability. The event highlighted the expertise, commitment and innovation that exists across Australia’s employment services sector, and created valuable opportunities to share ideas, strengthen professional networks and learn from colleagues across the country.
Alongside the conference, it was fantastic to spend time with friends, colleagues and Fellows, including Sarah McIntosh FIEP, Brendon McIntosh, Samantha Smith, Emily Hall, Tony Waters FIEP, Brooke Bofinger and Desma, as well as reconnecting with the team at Duke Education and Paul Licuria. It was also great to catch up with The Institute of Employability Professionals Australia Board Chair, Andrew Hills FIEP, to discuss the current state of the sector and the ongoing strategy and development of the IEP across Australia. Thank you, as always, for your wise counsel, support and leadership.
Alongside all of this, we also hosted an IEP Connect event in Melbourne, held a couple of IEP Fellows dinners, and met with providers across Adelaide and Melbourne to support their professional practice, quality and excellence ambitions.
Canberra: Reform, Research and Reconnection
A brilliant day in Canberra followed, meeting officials from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and the Department of Social Services (DSS), offering help and support with the reform and consultation currently taking place. I am very grateful for the time that colleagues spent with us listening to some amazing research and insights, whilst also learning about The Institute of Employability Professionals Australia’s workforce capability development programme, the IEP Quality Improvement Framework, our Centre of Excellence for Australia and New Zealand with The BUSY Group, and our recent partnership work with the UK’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
It was a great day of sharing knowledge and building understanding, with genuine listening and collaboration from Paul Miles and Darren Coppin PhD, MBA, FIEP. The meetings provided a valuable opportunity to discuss emerging priorities, share research and best practice, and showcase the work of The Institute of Employability Professionals Australia.
Familiar Faces, New Connections: Sydney
From Canberra, I arrived in Sydney to attend our third IEP Connect event of the trip that evening, where practitioners, leaders, Fellows, Members, partners and colleagues from across the employment services sector came together for an evening of networking, collaboration and professional connection. It was so good to connect with some familiar and some new faces — IEP Connect brings people together for an informal discussion, a safe space to share opinions, knowledge and understanding.
Bringing together Fellows, aspiring Fellows, senior leaders, expert practitioners and other interested parties is a powerful way to build connections and collaboration, and I’ll be taking this idea from our IEP Australia crew back to the UK as part of our events portfolio.
Looking Back, Looking Forward: The Real Reason We Do This
Sounds like a lot of fun, and I guess it is, for many reasons. But it’s mainly about the connections — the incredible passion that our people have for supporting people to move on with their lives, and their support for the IEP is amazing.
The IEP is about building a global profession where governments from around the world recognise the social and economic value of people working in this very specialist profession. We are doing great work, but we still have much to do — made considerably easier by the great people that work for us and with us as partners in this important mission.
Thank you to everyone who took the time to connect, share ideas and contribute to the continued growth and development of our profession around the world.
All of this energy is building towards something special: the IEP Summit Australia 2026, taking place on 12 November at The Promenade Docklands in Melbourne. After the incredible success of 2025, we’re back for another year — bigger, bolder and more impactful than ever.
This is an ‘anti-conference’: a high-energy, future-focused experience bringing together the brightest minds in employability for real conversations, actionable insights and powerful connections, with a genuine focus on promoting global collaboration across our sector. I can’t wait to see many of the people I’ve connected with on this trip there, and to keep building on everything we’ve discussed together.
I hope you’ll join us!
Book your tickets for IEP Summit Australia 2026 here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/theinstituteofemployabilityprofessionalsaustralia/1918784
And don’t miss out on getting your earlybird discount for our hands‑on IEP Connect Melbourne: AI – Product and Practice Workshop on 11 November 2026 (the day before the Summit).