6/08/2026
For a profession built on human connection, it makes sense that some of the best conversations in employment services don’t happen online — they happen over coffee, at a shared table, or in a room full of people who understand exactly what your week has looked like.
That’s the idea behind IEP Connect, and this month the momentum keeps building, with events landing in Townsville, Canberra, Melbourne, and online for the sector’s emerging leaders.
Turning a Growing Network into Real Relationships
IEP Connect events have been rolling out steadily throughout the year, already taking in Adelaide, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane — with Group CEO Scott Parkin FIEP recently joining the team on the road for return visits to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Now it’s time to bring that same energy to two more cities.
IEP Connect Townsville City, Queensland
Where: Flinders Street Wharves, Townsville City
When: Monday, 10 August 2026 | 4:00pm – 6:00pm
How: Register here
IEP Connect Canberra
Where: QT Canberra, 6 Marcus Clarke St, Canberra ACT 2601
When: Tuesday, 18 August 2026 | 5:00pm – 7:00pm
How: Register here
Both events are free to attend, with drinks and food available for purchase at the venue. Whether you’re a Fellow, a Member, or new to the sector altogether, these evenings are designed for genuine conversation — a chance to put faces to names, swap notes with people doing the same work in different corners of the country, and help build a stronger, more connected employability industry, one event at a time.
Know someone in the sector who’d benefit from attending? Pass it on to a colleague or partner.
Emerging Leaders: From Introduction to Community
Monday 17 August | 10:30am – 11:30am AEST | Microsoft Teams | Register for free
Not every connection starts in a room, though — some start with a simple sign-up. IEP Connect Online is launching its first Emerging Leaders session, a new community created to bring rising leaders together to connect, learn from one another, and share the realities of leadership in employment services.
The first session is an informal, get-to-know-you conversation rather than a structured presentation — no preparation needed, no slides to sit through. Just join with a coffee and be ready for an open, supportive discussion. Before joining, participants are encouraged to think about:
- What has been their biggest leadership challenge so far?
- What they hope to gain from this community?
- What topics they’d most like to see explored in future sessions?
It’s a low-pressure starting point for a community that’s set to grow — turning a shared login link into an ongoing network of peers navigating leadership together.
IEP Connect Melbourne Workshop: Practical AI for Employment and Community Services
Where: Community Hub, 912 Collins Street, Docklands VIC 3008
When: Wednesday 11 November 2026 | 12:00pm – 5:00pm
How: Register here
AI is already changing employment services and the world around it, rapidly. This workshop is the chance to see the tools, ask the questions, and leave with practical next steps — a practical afternoon exploring how AI can support employment and community services by reducing admin, strengthening capability, and improving outcomes, while keeping people at the centre of service delivery.
Rather than theory or hype, attendees can expect concise vendor showcases, live demonstrations, and one-to-one conversations about trials, pilots and partnerships that could work for their own team.
Speakers include:
- Joanna Barrack, Senior Partnerships Lead, Beam
- Basim Alansari, Executive Director Strategy, Attuniq | MD & CEO, Healthy Mend
- Rasmus Rossi FIEP, Co-Founder, ScaleApp Education
- Aamir Qutub, Founder & CEO, Enterprise Monkey
- Balendran Thavarajah, Founder & CEO, Getmee, and Amaresh Devanesen, Executive Director, Y Careers (Connect Different)
- Sarah McIntosh, Co-Founder, VINTI Tech — closing industry panel on safeguarding AI in employment services
- Peter Worthington-Eyre, Managing Director, Clearcore
Participating vendors include Beam, Attuniq, Connect Different (Getmee + Y Careers), ScaleApp, and Enterprise Monkey, covering everything from AI-assisted case notes, reporting and CVs, to governed coaching and communication platforms, adaptive workforce learning, and AI agents for frontline workflows.
Human-centred. AI-enabled.
Get your earlybird discounted tickets now
The Thread That Connects It All
Whether it’s a first-time introduction over drinks in Townsville, an online conversation with fellow emerging leaders, or a hands-on afternoon exploring AI tools in Melbourne, each IEP Connect event follows the same principle: the connections made online and across the sector are only as valuable as what they become in person — real relationships, real skills, and real outcomes for the people employment services professionals support every day.
See the full calendar of IEP Connect events and register today.