Past experience shows that work-for-the-dole programs do not help people get jobs. Under the previous Coalition government's scheme, only about one in three participants were still employed three months after the program," she said.
"The money would be far better invested in programs which we know work ... like Wage Connect [which provides a subsidy for employers who employ long-term unemployed job seekers on a continuing basis].
''Nearly half the participants in Wage Connect were in paid employment at the end of the six-month program."
Labor employment spokesman Brendan O'Connor blasted Mr Hartsuyker on Monday for what he described as a ''rehashed election announcement''.
Mr O'Connor said it was alarming that after almost five months in government, the Coalition could not provide any details of its policy.
"Where are the concrete details when it comes to this expanded work-for-the-dole scheme? How much will it cost, how will it work and how many people will be involved?''
The employment spokesman told Fairfax Media that not only was the Coalition's idea ''not new, the evidence suggests it doesn't work''.
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"People on Newstart and other income support payments already have strict requirements to make sure they are looking for work or studying, and there are penalties for failing to meet those requirements. This is about the government trying to get a good headline – they aren't helping a single person into a good, stable job."
Shadow assistant treasurer Andrew Leigh argued that work-for-the-dole had been proven to be ineffective.
''The challenge with work-for-the-dole is what the evidence says,'' he says.
He pointed to a 2004 Melbourne University study of work-for-the-dole, which found the program had a ''large and significant adverse effect on the likelihood of exiting unemployment payments''.
The study suggested that those on work for the dole were hampered by a ''lock-in effect,'' which reduced the time they spent looking for paid work.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/focus-on-young-jobless-in-abbott-governments-enhanced-work-for-the-dole-20140127-31hts.html#ixzz2rdKM1Bcm
If even just a handful of people find employment through this program, it's a win. It's also better than sitting at home chugging down longnecks all day.