Department of Employment and Workplace Relations explained

Agency Name:	Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Formed:	^[1]
Preceding1:	Department of Education, Skills and Employment
Type:	Department
Jurisdiction:	Commonwealth of Australia
Minister1 Name:	Murray Watt
Minister1 Pfo:	Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister2 Name:	Andrew Giles
Minister2 Pfo:	Minister for Skills and Training
Chief1 Name:	Natalie James
Chief1 Position:	Secretary (2022–present)

The Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (also called DEWR) is an Australian government department formed on 1 July 2022.^[1]

History

The department was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 1 June 2022. It split the preceding Department of Education, Skills and Employment into the newly formed Department of Education and Department of Employment and Workplace Relations

Department of Labor and Immigration (12 June 1974 – 22 December 1975)
Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (22 December 1975 – 5 December 1978)
Department of Employment and Youth Affairs (5 December 1978 – 7 May 1982)
Department of Employment and Industrial Relations (7 May 1982 – 24 July 1987)
Department of Employment, Education and Training (24 July 1987 – 11 March 1996)
Department of Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs (11 March 1996 – 21 October 1998)
Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business (21 October 1998 – 26 November 2001)
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (26 November 2001 – 3 December 2007)
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (3 December 2007 – 18 September 2013)
Department of Employment (18 September 2013 – 20 December 2017)
Department of Jobs and Small Business (20 December 2017 – 29 May 2019)
Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business (29 May 2019 – 1 February 2020)
Department of Education, Skills and Employment (1 February 2020 – 1 July 2022)

The functions of the department are broadly classified into the following matters:

Workforce Australia
Employment policy, including employment services
Labour market programmes for people of working age
Co-ordination of labour market research
Equal employment opportunity
Work and family programmes
Participation, activity test and compliance policy for participation payment recipients
Work health and safety, rehabilitation and compensation
Workplace relations policy development, advocacy and implementation
Skills and vocational education policy regulation and programmes, including vocational education and training in schools
Training, including apprenticeships and training and skills assessment services
Training transitions policy and programmes
Foundation skills for adults

Web site: Administrative Order Arrangements . Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet . Commonwealth of Australia . 30 June 2022.