18/12/2025
By Scott Parkin FIEP, Group Chief Executive, IEP aka @MrEmployability
As we close out another significant year and move into the festive season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to our Australian community for the holidays and a positive year ahead. This is a time for reflection, celebration and looking forward with optimism — and there is much to be optimistic about.
Across the IEP globally, 2025 has been a defining year. We have seen continued growth, deeper engagement in professional learning, and renewed clarity about our purpose: supporting employability professionals to be the best they can be, wherever they work. That commitment has been strongly reflected in Australia throughout the year.
A number of important milestones have shaped our work in Australia in 2025. We were proud to launch the IEP mentoring programme in association with Brancher — an initiative that began in Australia and has since been introduced in the UK. This is a powerful example of how innovation within the Australian employability community is helping to shape IEP’s global offer.
In October, we also held the IEP Summit in Sydney, which proved to be a truly outstanding event. The strength of engagement, the generosity of support, and the quality of feedback from attendees reinforced the value of creating space for learning, leadership and meaningful connection. The Summit highlighted the depth of expertise within the Australian sector, and the important role Australia plays in IEP’s international community.
In the latter part of the year we mobilised our Centre for Employability Excellence alongside our Partners The BUSY Group and we look forward to a series of exciting projects in 2026 that will bring data and insights to support improvements in delivery, quality and employability outcomes through test and learn projects across the organisation.
More broadly, 2025 has seen IEP continue to strengthen collaboration through our Centres for Employability Excellence and our work across Australia, the UK, Sweden, Canada and the Gulf. While the IEP was founded in the UK, the strength of what we have built lies in how learning, insight and best practice now flow across borders. The perspectives and experiences shared by our Australian members are an increasingly important part of that global exchange.
This year has also marked major milestones for the IEP at a global level, including significant partnerships that demonstrate how professional standards, co-design and continuous learning can influence system-level change. What matters most is that this learning is shared across our international community, ensuring that innovation in one country benefits professionals everywhere.
IEP is more than a learning provider or a membership body. It is your professional home — a platform for growth, recognition and connection with peers who share a belief in building stronger, more inclusive pathways into good work.
Thank you to our Australian Members, Fellows, Partners and supporters for your commitment, insight and professionalism over the past year. You are an essential part of the IEP community, and I look forward to continuing this journey together in 2026.
Season’s Greetings from all of us at the IEP. We hope you enjoy a well-earned break and look forward to connecting with you in the year ahead.
Scott Parkin FIEP
Group Chief Executive, IEP