Provider profile
Sarina Russo Job Access
Like most providers, Sarina Russo Job Access refers people from their employment services caseload to related entities to maximise profits from the perverse payment incentives offered by government.
The Founder and Managing Director, Sarina Russo, is probably the most high profile player in employment services and refers to herself as a “jobs queen”. She has active social media accounts where she offers life advice, personal insights, and shares selfies with politicians. In one video, she encourages unemployed peopleWe draw a distinction between welfare recipients and unemployed people. The latt..., from a boat in Cannes, “to dream big” and that she’ll see them “at the top”.
The pointlessness of these courses has always been obvious to the people pushed into them.
Fast facts
| 1.97 out of 5 | Score from ratings submitted to the AUWU app by people in employment services. |
| $602,648 | Political donations since 1999. The Coalition received $357,660 and Labor $244,988. |
| $1.07 billion | The amount that Sarina Russo entities have received in government contracts in the last decade.1Published contract values from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (source: tenders.gov.au) and the Department of Social Services (source: dss.gov.au/overview/departmental-contract-listing/grants-contracts). Workforce Australia: $21.7 million; Disability Employment Services: $28.2 million; Total: $49.9 million. |
| $267 million | Sarina Russo’s personal wealth reported in 2022.2 CEO Magazine, 24 February 2022, ‘Arriba Group’s Marcella Romero named CEO of the Year – A$0- 100m turnover’, apminvestors.net.au |
“They push you to take near-worthless Cert 3 courses through their own institute. I had multiple phone calls from SR while mutual obligationsParticipation requirements welfare recipients must fulfil each month to continue... were suspended telling me that I’d be breached if I didn’t take one of their courses, when pointing out that I wasn’t obliged to and I’d already done the only relevant one — oh, well just do one of the other ones then, it doesn’t ma!er.”
Stories
Below you can read a selection of survey responses, reviews, news articles and social media comments about Sarina Russo Job Access. We will be adding more survey responses and social media stories here in the coming weeks.
My study and work didn’t count
Department folds, gives job agencies millions in contracts for bullshit courses
27 July 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Department of employment intended…
Jobactive virus kickbacks top $500 million
29 August 2020, The Saturday Paper, Rick Morton. Access the full article here. Government policies have…
Job agency says to scrap ‘mutual obligations’
13 March 2023, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. Another key industry player…
AimBig loses contracts over poor performance
24 August 2022, Guardian Australia, Luke Henriques-Gomes. Access the full article here. AimBig one of 52…
Sarina Russo Jobs Access accused of dumping sensitive information in bin
28 July 2016, The Daily Mail, Sinead MacLaughlin. Access the full article here. Pages of sensitive…
Employment services survey
The Punishment for Profit report is based on hundreds of responses to surveys conducted by the Antipoverty Centre. This research is ongoing. If you are in Workforce Australia, Disability Employment Services or a similar program, we welcome any information you are able to share about your experiences.