9/07/2026
Thursday 12 November 2026 | The Promenade Docklands, Melbourne | 10:00am – 9:30pm
After the incredible success of last year, the IEP Summit Australia is back again — bigger, bolder, and more impactful than ever. This year will be in Melbourne, and the theme could not be more timely: Thriving Through Change – Talent, Technology, and the Future Workforce.
If you work anywhere near employability, recruitment, or workforce development, this is the one day of the year built entirely around the conversations that matter — with the people who can actually move them forward.
Let’s be clear about what this isn’t. It’s not a lecture-hall conference where you watch slides scroll past and file out at the end with a tote bag and no new thinking. The IEP calls it an “anti-conference” for a reason: it’s a high-energy, future-focused day built on real conversations, actionable insights, and the kind of connections that actually change how you work. Expect a genuine blend of formal sessions and informal networking, designed to spark the conversations that don’t happen anywhere else in our sector.
Here’s what the day has in store.
The Changing Face of a Candidate (10:15am – 11:30am)
The workforce walking through the door — literally and figuratively — looks different than it did even two years ago. The Summit opens by unpacking exactly how.
We’ll hear from a social demographer setting the scene on the shifting shape of the Australian workforce, before moving into a panel that tackles three interconnected challenges head-on:
- The mounting pressures facing young people entering work and education
- The growing importance of mature age participation in the workforce
- What genuine workforce inclusion looks like in practice
Expect perspectives from across the spectrum — including a youth lens, informed voices on mature-age employment, and expertise in neurodiversity — bringing lived experience and hard data together in the same room.
The Changing Nature of Recruitment (11:30am – 1:00pm, continuing after lunch from 1:45pm – 2:45pm)
This is where things get robust. IEP is bringing together voices from opposite ends of the recruitment spectrum — private sector HR and employment services — for a debate-style session that won’t shy away from tension.
From there, the panel digs into the questions every employability professional is wrestling with right now:
- What AI is actually doing to recruitment processes
- Skills versus qualifications — which one is really winning?
- Rising flexibility expectations from candidates
- How we better support people who are further from the labour market
- The friction between progressive workplace expectations and traditional employer norms
Lunch (1:00pm – 1:45pm) gives you a chance to digest the debate — and keep the conversation going over a plate.
Then the same panel picks the thread back up, turning the lens specifically onto employment services and the retention crisis many providers know all too well: the churn of staff during procurement cycles, the lack of structured training, unplanned career paths, and a persistent underinvestment in skills development. It’s a conversation employment services rarely gets to have this honestly, in this much depth.
Skills, Competencies & Professionalisation — Practical Workshop (3:00pm)
This session rolls up its sleeves. Building on IEP’s recent skills gaps research, this hands–on workshop explores the widening disconnect between what job roles ask for on paper and what the work actually requires day to day.
More than just a discussion, this is your chance to directly shape the sector’s future: insights gathered here will feed into IEP’s ongoing work defining core competencies for modern employability practice. If you’ve ever wanted a genuine say in professionalising this industry, this is it.
Dinner, Reflection & a Laugh (6:00pm onwards)
The day winds down the way any respectable anti-conference should — with dinner facilitated by a distinguished leader in Cybersecurity, whose name cannot be publicised (Chatham House Rules apply). Make sure you don’t miss out on the mystery. We’ll relax, enjoy some light entertainment, feast, and toast to our Fellow of the Year (more details on nominations TBC), and celebrate a memorable day.
Why This Summit Matters
Building on the success of 2025 and the most recent record-breaking IEP Summit UK, this year’s IEP Summit in Melbourne is also committed to promoting global collaboration, with international colleagues and partners bringing a broader range of voices and perspectives to the strategic agenda of our sector. This is your opportunity to:
- Connect with top industry leaders and forward-thinking peers
- Explore cutting-edge policy, practice, and innovation
- Advance your career with insights you can act on
- Influence the future of employability in Australia
Whether you’re in front-line employment services, corporate HR, policy, or workforce strategy, the Summit is built for anyone passionate about employability services, policy, and strategy — and it’s your chance to have a genuine say in where the sector goes next.
“At a time of major reform across employment services and the skills sector, there has never been a more important time for professionals to come together and learn from one another,” said Zac Ashkanasy, Principal, Global Head of Higher Education at Nous Group.
“The IEP Australia Summit provides a rare opportunity to hear from sector leaders, explore practical solutions and connect with colleagues from across Australia and New Zealand. People will leave with new ideas, stronger networks and a better understanding of how we can collectively improve employment and career outcomes for the people and communities we serve.”
Secure Your Spot at the Summit
Seats for the IEP Summit Australia 2026 are limited. Speaker announcements are rolling out soon — stay tuned.
📅 Thursday 12 November 2026
📍 The Promenade Docklands, Melbourne
⏰ 10:00am – 9:30pm
Want to pay by invoice or in up to 3 instalments? Contact amy.lucas@iemployability.org or select the pay-by-invoice ticket type.
IEP Connect Workshop Melbourne: AI – Product and Practice Workshop
Frontline practitioners across employment services are also invited to a hands‑on AI Workshop on 11 November 2026, the day before IEP Summit Australia 2026, designed to show exactly how artificial intelligence can be applied in day‑to‑day service delivery.
Through practical demonstrations and real‑world examples, attendees will explore how AI can support smoother workflows, strengthen decision‑making, and enhance client outcomes without disrupting business operations. Industry‑leading AI experts will guide participants through the tools, safeguards, and implementation pathways that ensure AI is compliance‑aligned, risk‑aware, and easy to adopt across frontline teams.
Register for IEP Connect Melbourne: AI – Product and Practice Workshop