Breaking down transport barriers to workforce participation across NSW
Work Transit Alliance (Workforce Australia Local Jobs) | Transport Access Research and Workforce Participation Analysis
| Southern NSW (Capital Region, Illawarra South Coast, Murray Riverina), Australia | 2025 - 2026
Cross-regional research linking transport access and employment participation
Mixed-method engagement and analysis across three Local Jobs regions
Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping of Transport for NSW Public Transport Accessibility Level
Practical recommendations to guide implementation and advocacy
The Challenge
Transport access remains one of the most persistent barriers to employment participation in regional Australia. Workers without reliable transport face limited job opportunities, reduced mobility and barriers to training and services. The Work Transit Alliance sought to move beyond analysis towards coordinated action, requiring a clear evidence base to guide investment, planning and advocacy.
Key challenges included
Understanding transport barriers across coastal and country southern NSW
Identifying connectivity gaps between workers and employment hubs
Capturing lived experience alongside quantitative data
Aligning transport, employment and regional development initiatives
Our Approach
We applied a systems-led, mixed-method approach to understand how transport access shapes workforce participation across regional communities.
Our methodology included
Demographic and labour market analysis
Driver licence attainment and car access
GIS spatial mapping using the Transport for NSW Public Transport Accessibility Level (PTAL) model
Surveys engaging over 500 job seekers, employees and employers
Focus groups and interviews with employment service providers and regional training, employment and economic development stakeholders
Triangulation of quantitative and qualitative insights to identify systemic patterns
Outcomes and Impact
Key Outcomes
First cross-regional evidence base linking transport access and employment participation
Identification of connectivity gaps and priority intervention areas
Practical recommendations to support coordinated transport solutions
Evidence foundation to guide regional advocacy and planning
Economic and Social Impact
Improved access to employment opportunities for regional communities
Strengthened coordination across transport and workforce systems
Enhanced regional capacity to advocate for infrastructure investment
Supports workforce participation and economic resilience across southern NSW
Services Delivered
“We chose Sparrowly Group because we needed more than a consultant — we needed a strategic partner capable of unpacking a complex, cross-regional issue and translating it into clear, actionable insight. Transport-related barriers to employment are layered, systemic and often poorly understood at a practical level. Sparrowly approached the work with intellectual rigour, strong stakeholder engagement and an ability to synthesise diverse regional perspectives into a cohesive and evidence-based framework.
Their research has provided us with both authority and direction. It has strengthened our case for reform, aligned multiple regions around shared priorities, and given us a platform to move from fragmented efforts to coordinated action through the Work Transit Alliance.
Beyond the quality of the final report, what stood out most was Sparrowly’s professionalism, responsiveness and genuine commitment to the purpose behind the work. This was not just a project delivery exercise — it was a collaborative process focused on long-term impact.
We are grateful for their partnership and would confidently engage them again for complex, strategy-level work.”
