Employment Pathway Plan

On this page

• About Employment Pathway Plans
• Employment Pathway Plan activities
• Refusing to enter into an Employment Pathway Plan
• Meeting the terms of my Employment Pathway Plan
• Appealing if I get a participation or serious failure for not meeting my Employment Pathway Plan

About Employment Pathway Plans

An Employment Pathway Plan explains what you need to do to get a job or improve your employment prospects and what assistance you will be offered. It is a legal document that replaces any previous agreement (for example Activity Agreements) and starts from the date you sign it.

The plan is negotiated between you and the Centrelink Customer Service Adviser or with your Employment Services Provider when your payment is granted and at other times as required.

Your Employment Pathway Plan helps to identify your individual needs. By undertaking each of the activities outlined in your plan you will give yourself the best chance of becoming employed and independent.

Factors considered in the negotiation include:

• your education, skills, experience and age
• local labour market conditions
• the availability of training facilities.

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Employment Pathway Plan activities

Activities that may be contained in an Employment Pathway Plan include:

• job search
• vocational education or training
• paid work experience
• participation in a labour market program
• participation in a Work for the Dole project
• rehabilitation
• other activities that you may propose, such as voluntary work, if they are considered appropriate by Centrelink or your Employment Services Provider.

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Refusing to enter into an Employment Pathway Plan

You may not be paid income support if you refuse to enter into an Employment Pathway Plan when asked to do so.

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Meeting the terms of my Employment Pathway Plan

If you refuse to enter or delay entering into an Employment Pathway Plan and do not have a valid reason you may receive a connection failure. If you have a connection failure, Centrelink will organise an appointment for you at which you will need to enter into a plan. If you do not attend this appointment, or do not enter into a plan, and do not have a valid reason you may receive a reconnection failure.

If you have a reconnection failure you will lose your payment from the date of the new appointment until you attend another reconnection appointment and enter into an Employment Pathway Plan. You will lose your payment for a longer period if you are deliberately avoiding your obligations.

A No Show, No Pay failure may occur if you do not participate in any compulsory activity or program included in your Employment Pathway Plan, such as training or Work for the Dole, and do not have a valid reason. If you have a No Show, No Pay failure you will lose 1 day of payment for every day that you do not participate. This is called a No Show, No Pay penalty.

More information

• No Show, No Pay failure
• Connection and reconnection failures
• Comprehensive Compliance Assessment
• Serious failure
• Unemployment Non-Payment Period

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Appealing if I get a participation or serious failure for not meeting my Employment Pathway Plan

You always have the right to appeal any decision made by Centrelink. For more information about how to have a decision looked at again, view the Reviews and appeals section of this website.

More information

For more information about Activity Test and participation requirements, view the Activity Test and participation requirements for job seekers Factsheet.

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