JOBS ACADEMY Helping women return to work and thrive What is Jobs Academy? Jobs Academy is a flexible, fully virtual program helping women who have lost connection with paid work. Supported by governments and free for participants, Jobs Academy assists women returning to work to clarify their goals, build confidence, and secure a job or training place. A trusted and highly-regarded pathway back to work, Jobs Academy is generating demand of 3:1 for every available place. Since 2021, Jobs Academy has supported more than 5000 women to become job ready and is a blueprint for future delivery of employment and pre-employment services. In 2026, Helen was appointed to the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations' Employment Services Reform Advisory Group. Apply to Jobs Academy Become an employer partner Our success Since 2021, Jobs Academy has helped thousands of women to become job ready and secure their financial futures. Evidence-based and designed with women's real lives in mind, Jobs Academy is a powerful tool for economic equality and national productivity. 87% of participants felt confident on exit of the program 91% of participants felt well equipped to apply for a job 88% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that they could articulate their strengths and skills Meet our participants Jessie*, Jobs Academy, QLD Jessie's story Expand After 25 years out of the workforce due to family violence, Jessie found the professional world had moved on without her. Self-doubt ran deep. "It's very difficult when you've been told for such a long period of time, how awful you are. You do lose your feeling of value." She discovered Jobs Academy on Facebook. As someone starting over, the fact it was free was critical. The program helped her rebuild skills and find strength in community: "Some of the confidence is also that you're not the only person who is struggling... and that there are employers who will still take a chance on you." She landed a role in community disaster recovery - and was invited back the following season. Today, Jessie is studying Criminology and advocating for the prevention of family violence. Benita* Jobs Academy Veterans Pilot, South Australia Benita's story Expand Benita joined the Army at 17, led teams by 25, and served as a General's aide in the Middle East. But leaving the military left her unmoored. "I have been working really, really hard to come to terms with who I am outside of the military." Jobs Academy gave her what her Army transition coach couldn't - community. "The actual talk and hearing other people's stories is definitely the part that does it." Learning to translate military leadership into corporate language was the turning point. From five job applications, she received four offers. "Had I applied six months prior, I wouldn't have made it because I would not have known what to say." Today Benita is a Capability Growth Manager at a major shipbuilding company and has launched her own veteran decompression program. Rachel*, Jobs Academy, NSW Rachel's story Expand Rachel is a First Nations woman in her late 50s with two decades at Qantas and her own fitness business behind her. A traumatic workplace incident in 2017 brought it all to a halt. When she found Jobs Academy, she was skeptical - the free program felt "too good to be true." But it proved transformative. She built technical confidence, learned to navigate LinkedIn, used AI tools, and completed Google Career Certificates. The small group environment helped her see her own experience differently: "Other participants have actually said, 'Oh Rachel, but you can do this and you can do that.' I hadn't thought about that." The skills rippled outward too - she used what she learned to support her neurodivergent son: "I wouldn't have been able to help him if I didn't have what I've learned through your program." She's now pursuing remote work and recommending Jobs Academy to her peers. Gender inequality is not 'just a women's issue' Australian women's careers look markedly different to men's. Women are more likely to spend time outside of paid work as parents and carers, or to manage their health needs. Inflexible job design, outdated recruitment processes and technological change combine to penalise women for these non-linear careers. The result is too many skilled, motivated women get stuck outside of the paid workforce, costing our economy $128 billion in unrealised value. FW is seizing the opportunity to connect more women with jobs, redesign work for the better, and build a future where earning potential isn't limited by gender. 29% of occupations across Australia are currently facing skills shortages. Yet, there are over 1,100,000 unemployed and underemployed women who want to work. $128billion in unrealised productivity for the Australian economy. Our employer partners FW employer partners support the success of Jobs Academy through volunteer mentoring, returnship programs, informal industry presentations and job opportunities. Become an employer partner Flexible, quality and tailored pre-employment support Jobs Academy is not a traditional employment program. It is delivered via a bespoke digital platform that was purpose-built to connect women, employers, and allies at scale. Jobs Academy outcomes will be supported by AI-enabled hyper-personalisation from 2027. Intervening early in the return-to-work journey, Jobs Academy helps women build clarity, confidence and capability. The program is self-paced, with structure and resources that support participants to focus on what they need, when they need it, and ultimately drive their own success. Jobs Academy was founded on the principle that if women are given flexible, quality and tailored pre-employment support, they will not only return to work faster and in greater numbers - but thrive when they get there. Our impact Modern Job Readiness Diagram Rebuildconfidence andself-esteem Regain careerclarity andcreate a plan Build capabilityto search andapply for work Fostercommunity andconnection Job readiness Jobs Academy is supported by Stay tuned Stay up to date with our events, programs and the latest in gender news.
