DXC to deliver Australia's new job seeker platform

The Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE) has selected DXC Technology to deliver a Microsoft-based digital experience platform that will support the country's job seekers and employers.

Called ‘Digital First’, the platform is expected to offer Australians a personalised way to manage their job search online, including by accessing jobs boards and reporting their mutual obligations.

It will also help employers to find job seekers from a large pool of candidates that can filtered and searched, as well as offer work experience programs.

Digital First is core to the government's new employment services model (NESM), which will replace the existing jobactive service from July 2022.

The NESM is currently being trialled in two regions in SA and NSW, albeit without the planned platform.

In a statement, DXC said the new agreement will see it lead a consortium of strategic partners to deliver the seamless user experience through “a cloud-based Microsoft Dynamics 365 solution”.

It follows on from an initial “planning and design services” contract signed with DESE last September at a cost of $5.2 million for five months work.

A DXC spokesperson would not disclose the value or term of the latest agreement.

The solution will use SAS Customer Intelligence 360 and Azure for advanced data analytics, as well as intelligent automation, to the benefit of jobseekers and employers.

In addition to Microsoft and SAS, other strategic partners include IT solutions provider Veritec, consultancy Thinkplace and digital agency Annex.

“The platform is being designed to cater to a new generation of digitally savvy, job-ready candidates who will be able to self-navigate the online tools to make more informed decisions about their job search,” DXC said.

“New and existing employers will also experience a better service, including the ability to easily filter and search for candidates through a single interface.”

DXC Technology’s Asia Pacific managing director Seelan Nayagam said the company was “delighted to be working with the DESE to support the NESM program”.

“We’re proud to be making a difference to employment in Australia,” he said.

“Through the strength of our partner ecosystem, we have brought together our joint capabilities to deliver a platform that facilitates a cohesive and personalised digital experience.”

Update 22/01: DESE has now published the contract for the development, which puts the cost at $6.3 million over 16 months. It has also published a separate $5 million contract for personnel costs.