7/08/2026
The future of employability services will be shaped not only by policy and funding, but by organisations willing to challenge assumptions, test new ideas and invest in understanding what works for participants.
That is the ambition behind Project DEEP ANZ (Australia & New Zealand), a collaborative initiative between the IEP’s, Global Centre for Employability Excellence (CfEE) and The BUSY Group. Together, we are exploring how international evidence, practitioner expertise and participant insight can be used to drive innovation and continuous improvement across employability services.
Project DEEP provides a structured framework for organisations to test emerging ideas, evaluate their impact and contribute to the growing evidence base for effective employability practice. Importantly, it creates space for providers to look beyond traditional service models and explore new ways of improving participant experience and outcomes.
The BUSY Group has been one of the first organisations in Australia to embrace this approach, working collaboratively with the IEP to pilot and evaluate new interventions designed to address some of the sector’s most persistent challenges.
Recent pilots have focused on two areas of significant interest.
One explored how human-centred digital communication could strengthen participant engagement during the critical period between referral and first appointment. Rather than relying solely on traditional communications, the pilot introduced a series of short welcome videos designed to help participants understand what to expect and feel more confident engaging with support. Early findings have been encouraging and suggest there is considerable value in continuing to explore participant-centred engagement approaches.
A second pilot, Program RESET, examined how psychological support might complement employment services for participants facing complex barriers to employment. Developed using insights from behavioural science, psychology and employability practice, the programme focused on confidence, self-efficacy and personal development alongside employment support. The pilot generated valuable learning and positive participant feedback that will help inform future service design and refinement.
While these projects remain in the pilot phase, they exemplify the type of innovation that will become increasingly important as employment services continue to evolve. They demonstrate a willingness to invest in learning, explore evidence-informed approaches and consider the wider factors that influence an individual’s journey towards employment.
For the IEP, partnerships such as this are central to our mission of advancing professional excellence across the employability sector. By connecting organisations with global insights, emerging practice and robust evaluation frameworks, we can help create the conditions for meaningful innovation.
For The BUSY Group, participation in Project DEEP ANZ reflects a commitment to remaining at the forefront of service design and delivery, continually seeking new ways to improve participant experiences and outcomes.
As we continue to share learning from Project DEEP ANZ, we look forward to working with more organisations that are committed to building the next generation of employability services.
If you’re interested in exploring how global employability insights, evidence-based innovation and collaborative learning could benefit your organisation, we’d love to start a conversation.