The Business Council of Australia will lead a major new initiative on workforce participation with the aim of increasing participation including among Australians who are marginalised.

The roundtable of eminent Australians from business, government and the community agreed there was a clear case for business to help lead efforts in providing much greater opportunities for those who face significant educational, cultural, geographical or physical barriers to employment.

The meeting, which was held in Sydney, highlighted that while the vast majority of Australians were enjoying the benefits from a prolonged period of prosperity and low unemployment rates, there were still many left behind in terms of employment opportunities, including around 1.5 million Australians on social security payments.

The roundtable agreed to convene a working group to develop detailed recommendations for business, government and the community to significantly improve employment opportunities for those on the margins.

Read the news release or download the roundtable discussion paper or list of attendees using the links below.