Contracted employment services and the Trade Practices Act

This guide has been prepared to help current and prospective participants in the emerging competitive market for government-funded employment services. The corporatisation of the public sector provision of services heralded the contracting of a wide range of employment services from the private and community sector as well as from the Public Employment Placement Enterprise (PEPE). The market for employment services is characterised by there being only one purchaser, DEETYA. The suppliers are wholly government funded and services are provided free of charge to job seekers. Nevertheless, providers should recognise that their behaviour is constrained by the same legislation as applies to more traditional trading and commercial activities.