Job Seeker Classification Instrument (JSCI)
What is the JSCI?
The JSCI, which was introduced in 1998, is an objective measure of a job seeker’s relative labour market disadvantage based on his/her individual circumstances. These individual circumstances are assessed using a job seeker’s answers to the JSCI questionnaire plus other information known to influence employment prospects.
The JSCI is designed to identify job seekers who, because of their individual circumstances, are likely to become long-term unemployed.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (the Department) is responsible for the development and administration of the JSCI.
The JSCI was most recently reviewed between April 2008 and June 2009. The review included a call for submissions from key stakeholders, consultations with key stakeholders, formal research and expert advice. The review has resulted in the implementation of a new JSCI on 1 July 2009 to assess job seekers for referral to Job Services Australia (JSA). The new JSCI provides a more balanced and reliable holistic assessment for all job seekers.
More information on the review is available in the report on the Review of the Job Seeker Classification Instrument.
What is the JSCI used for?
A key feature of JSA is the provision of services in accordance with a job seeker’s assessed level of disadvantage. The services are provided in four Streams, with Stream 1 for the more work-ready job seekers up to Stream 4 for the most highly disadvantaged job seekers with severe non-vocational barriers. Each Stream also offers access to Work Experience Activities.
JSA provides job seekers with more personalised help, better targeted services and greater access to training opportunities and work experience in areas of skill need. JSA also provides more help for employers to find work-ready job seekers.
More information is available on the Department’s JSA site.
Under JSA, the JSCI is specifically used to determine a job seeker’s eligibility for Streams 1 to 3 and to identify job seekers who have multiple or complex barriers to employment who may require a Job Capacity Assessment (JCA).
A JCA is a comprehensive assessment of a job seeker’s vocational and non-vocational barriers to employment and the impact these barriers have on the job seeker’s capacity to undertake work. A JCA is conducted by appropriately experienced and qualified allied health professionals. Eligibility for Stream 4 and Disability Employment Services is determined through a JCA.
More information on JCAs is available on the Departments' JCA website.
Under JSA, the JSCI is also used to identify job seekers who may benefit from referral to any of the following:
The JSCI may be conducted by Centrelink, JSA providers or JCA providers on behalf of the Department.
Job seekers must have a JSCI which accurately reflects their current circumstances to ensure they are receiving the services most appropriate to their level of disadvantage. The JSCI is updated as part of a Change of Circumstances Reassessment and a Stream Services Review. It can also be updated as part of a Comprehensive Compliance Assessment.
| Note: Under JSA, only job seekers who are Fully Eligible Participants are required to undertake the JSCI. |
More information about the JSCI…
Conducting a JSCI
The JSCI may be conducted by Centrelink, JSA providers or JCA providers on behalf of the Department.
The JSCI is conducted by Centrelink when one of the following occurs for a job seeker:
- registers for employment assistance
- reports a change in their circumstances that impacts on their level of disadvantage in the labour market (Change of Circumstances Reassessment)
- is referred by a Job Services Australia provider for a review of their level of servicing (Stream Services Review) to Centrelink
or
- undergoes a Comprehensive Compliance Assessment and a JSCI is required.
In Centrelink, the JSCI is conducted when an unemployed person first registers with Centrelink for employment assistance as part of the First Contact Service Offer or the Looking for Work process. It can be completed face to face or over the phone with the unemployed person. In the majority of cases, the JSCI is conducted by Centrelink - the gateway to JSA for most job seekers.
The JSCI can be conducted by JSA providers when one of the following occurs for a job seeker:
- is Directly Registered as a volunteer and chooses to receive the full range of JSA services
- reports a change in their circumstances that impacts on their level of disadvantage in the labour market (Change of Circumstances Reassessment)
- requires a review of their level of servicing (Stream Services Review)
or
- does not have a JSCI record and needs to Commence in JSA.
JSA providers conduct the JSCI at a face-to-face meeting with the job seeker.
The JSCI can be conducted by JCA providers when one of the following occurs for a job seeker:
- discloses or reveals new information during the JCA
or
- is assessed with a recommended referral to Streams 1 to 3 but does not have a JSCI record.
JCA providers can complete the JSCI face-to-face or over the phone with the job seeker.
A JSCI cannot be conducted for job seekers who are not currently registered or are receiving Stream 4 services or Disability Employment Services. The only exception to this is young people who are classified as Vulnerable Youth and Vulnerable Youth (Student). These young people are under 21 years and in crisis and are unable to access other local youth services. These young people provisionally commence in Stream 4 and are referred to Centrelink within 4 weeks of their commencement date. Centrelink conducts the JSCI and refers the young person for a JCA if necessary, to confirm their eligibility for JSA.
Change of Circumstances Reassessment
- A job seeker’s JSCI record must accurately reflect their current circumstances to ensure they are receiving the services most appropriate to their level of disadvantage.
- When job seekers disclose or reveal new information about their circumstances that may impact on their level of disadvantage, a Change of Circumstances Reassessment should be conducted.
- For job seekers in Streams 1-3, the Change of Circumstances Reassessment is conducted by Centrelink or the JSA provider by reviewing and updating the JSCI. The JCA provider may also update the JSCI if the job seeker discloses new information during a JCA.
- Job seekers in Stream 4 or in Disability Employment Services are referred for a JCA for the Change of Circumstances Reassessment.
Where the Change of Circumstances Reassessment indicates that the job seeker’s level of disadvantage in the labour market has increased, job seekers may become eligible for different services.
Key components of the JSCI
The key components of the JSCI are the factors (including sub-factors), questions, score and Job Capacity Assessment (JCA) triggers.
The JSCI process involves collecting information about the factors using questions and other information derived from existing administrative data on the job seeker, to calculate a score. The JSCI score is used to determine a job seeker’s eligibility for Streams 1 to 3.
Through specific responses to JSCI questions or JCA triggers, the JSCI process may also identify the need for a JCA. The job seeker’s eligibility for Stream 4 and Disability Employment Services is determined by the outcome of the JCA. The outcome of the JCA finalises the JSCI score which determines eligibility for Streams 1-3.
Factors
The JSCI consists of 18 factors (including sub-factors) which have been identified through ongoing formal research, expert advice and consultations, as being important in measuring the likelihood of a registrant remaining a job seeker for at least a year.
These factors are:
|
- Age and Gender |
- Geographic |
|
- Recency of Work Experience |
- Proximity to a Labour Market |
|
- Job Seeker History |
- Access to Transport |
|
- Educational Attainment |
- Phone Contactability |
|
- Vocational Qualifications |
- Disability/Medical Conditions |
|
- English Proficiency |
- Stability of Residence |
|
- Country of Birth |
- Living Circumstances |
|
- Indigenous Status |
- Ex-offender Status |
|
- Indigenous Location |
- Personal Characteristics |
As part of the JSCI process, some factors are expressed as questions asked directly of a job seeker, such as Educational Attainment. Other factors are derived from routine information provided by the job seeker or sourced from the job seeker’s record, such as Proximity to a Labour Market which uses the job seeker’s postcode. Other factors, such as Disability/Medical Conditions, may be confirmed or derived from the outcomes of a JCA.
A description of each factor is contained in the JSCI Factors document ( PDF 213KB | RTF 269KB).
Questions
The JSCI questionnaire includes 49 questions. Like the factors, the questions have been developed based on formal research, expert advice and consultations. This has included cognitive testing with job seekers, employment service providers and Centrelink Customer Service Advisers.
The number of questions a job seeker is required to answer depends upon their individual circumstances. For example, a job seeker who has a high level of disadvantage will generally have to answer more questions. The minimum number of questions a job seeker will answer when completing the JSCI is 18.
Five of the questions in the JSCI are voluntary. For these questions, the job seeker can choose the response option of ‘do not wish to answer’. The voluntary questions cover the following:
- Indigenous status (i.e. Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander)
- refugee status
- disability and medical conditions
- ex-offender status; and
- any other factors or personal characteristics, including intergenerational disadvantage, which may affect a job seeker’s ability to work, obtain work or to look for work.
Score
A job seeker’s answers to each of the questions or derived information are assigned weights or points depending on the relative contribution of that JSCI factor in determining whether a job seeker is likely to continue seeking a job for at least another year.
The weights or points assigned to each of the JSCI factors are added together to calculate the JSCI score. The JSCI score reflects a job seeker’s level of disadvantage in the labour market. The higher the JSCI score, the higher the probability of the job seeker remaining in this state for another year or longer.
As noted above, the JSCI score is used to determine a job seeker’s eligibility for Streams 1 to 3.
The points for each component of the JSCI are contained in the JSCI Factors document
( PDF 213KB | RTF 269KB)
JCA Triggers
- A job seeker’s responses to some of the questions, in combination with his/her age, can also identify that he/she has multiple or complex barriers to employment that require further assessment. These job seekers may be referred for a JCA to determine the services which best suit their circumstances.
- The outcome of a JCA may include a recommendation for referral to Streams 1 to 3, Stream 4 or Disability Employment Services. The JCA also determines a job seeker’s work capacity in hours-per-week bandwidths including 0-7 hours per week, 8-14 hours per week, 15-22 hours per week, 23-29 hours per week and 30 plus hours per week.
The JSCI factors which include JCA triggers are:
|
- Recency of Work Experience |
- Disability/ Medical Conditions |
|
- Job Seeker History |
- Stability of Residence |
|
- Educational Attainment |
- Living Circumstances |
|
- English Proficiency |
- Ex-offender Status |
|
- Indigenous Status |
- Personal Characteristics |