A Review of Work for the Dole as a Labour Market Program. The project will review the Work for the Dole program in terms of its first formal objective (to install work habits in young people)and in the wider context of giving young unemployed people the skills and confidence that will increase their chances of finding employment. The principal research tools used will be sample surveys and in-depth interviews. An independent substantial review will give a firm basis for discussions of the progr ....A Review of Work for the Dole as a Labour Market Program. The project will review the Work for the Dole program in terms of its first formal objective (to install work habits in young people)and in the wider context of giving young unemployed people the skills and confidence that will increase their chances of finding employment. The principal research tools used will be sample surveys and in-depth interviews. An independent substantial review will give a firm basis for discussions of the program, including how it can be improved and whether or not, given the political imperatives to retain it,it is desirable to increase expenditure on it.Read moreRead less
Rural-Urban Migration in China and Indonesia: Patterns, Consequences and Policy Intervention. China and Indonesia are two of Australia's most important neighbours. Their process of economic development and the social and political stability have tremendous impact on Australia's economic performance and prosperity. Assisting China and Indonesia to effectively manage the unprecedented large scale rural-urban migration is consistent with Australia's own interest. This project will lead to important ....Rural-Urban Migration in China and Indonesia: Patterns, Consequences and Policy Intervention. China and Indonesia are two of Australia's most important neighbours. Their process of economic development and the social and political stability have tremendous impact on Australia's economic performance and prosperity. Assisting China and Indonesia to effectively manage the unprecedented large scale rural-urban migration is consistent with Australia's own interest. This project will lead to important policy analyses that help the effective and efficient allocation of Australia's development aid budget. It will also build research and policy collaborations and cross-fertilisation amongst Australian government agencies, the Chinese government agencies in Indonesia as well as domestic and international research institutes.Read moreRead less
Employment literacy:young people, job readiness and employability in Western Australia. This research will construct a model of employment literacy - a novel concept moving beyond notions of employability and social literacy - by developing a critical understanding of the personal and social characteristics that comprise a job ready young person among the clients of a range of employment services in Western Australia. Job readiness and employability are widely used to describe the desired outcom ....Employment literacy:young people, job readiness and employability in Western Australia. This research will construct a model of employment literacy - a novel concept moving beyond notions of employability and social literacy - by developing a critical understanding of the personal and social characteristics that comprise a job ready young person among the clients of a range of employment services in Western Australia. Job readiness and employability are widely used to describe the desired outcomes of employment programs, but are inadequately defined and measured. A model of employment literacy will enhance the academic literature and provide assistance to young people and organisations seeking to integrate employability skills into training and employment programs.Read moreRead less
Re-conceptualising citizenship and the commodification of labour: the experiences of young casual workers in the South Australian labour market. This qualitative study addresses existing gaps regarding the nature and strength of workplace voice and agency of young casual workers in South Australia especially at a time when the growth of casual employment is reviving the notion that human labour is returning to commodity status. This study considers the implications for skill and training, gend ....Re-conceptualising citizenship and the commodification of labour: the experiences of young casual workers in the South Australian labour market. This qualitative study addresses existing gaps regarding the nature and strength of workplace voice and agency of young casual workers in South Australia especially at a time when the growth of casual employment is reviving the notion that human labour is returning to commodity status. This study considers the implications for skill and training, gendered aspects of labour market regulation, and potential forms of effective advocacy to assist young casual workers to workplace citizenship and long-term employment from their perspective. The study has theoretical and policy implications.Read moreRead less
Mesozoic Austral Biodiversity: Research and Regional Museum Applications. The impact of environmental alteration on Australia’s biodiversity has poorly understood long-term effects. This project examines the controversial biogeography and evolution of Australia’s biodiversity during the Age of Dinosaurs (mid-Cretaceous ~100 MYA) and their adaptational responses to climatic change. Fossils readily capture the public imagination and thus help promote complex scientific concepts in the global media ....Mesozoic Austral Biodiversity: Research and Regional Museum Applications. The impact of environmental alteration on Australia’s biodiversity has poorly understood long-term effects. This project examines the controversial biogeography and evolution of Australia’s biodiversity during the Age of Dinosaurs (mid-Cretaceous ~100 MYA) and their adaptational responses to climatic change. Fossils readily capture the public imagination and thus help promote complex scientific concepts in the global media. This project raises awareness about sustainable use of non-renewable fossil resources through public education and ecotourism fieldwork programs; these will help generate local interest and thus protection of sensitive fossil localities by highlighting them as lucrative tourism assets for regional communities.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence on Income Support: Patterns, Causation and Implications for Australian Social Policy. This project examines the consequences of growing up in an income-support family. The first stage describes the relationship between parents' and children's income-support receipt to determine whether these children are more likely to access income-support programs themselves. Stage 2 identifies the causal mechanisms through which parental income-support receipt in ....Intergenerational Transmission of Dependence on Income Support: Patterns, Causation and Implications for Australian Social Policy. This project examines the consequences of growing up in an income-support family. The first stage describes the relationship between parents' and children's income-support receipt to determine whether these children are more likely to access income-support programs themselves. Stage 2 identifies the causal mechanisms through which parental income-support receipt influences children's outcomes. Identification of these transmission mechanisms is a necessary first step in formulating policies targeted towards breaking any cycle of welfare dependence. This project is innovative in its use of survey data merged to unique administrative data that link the income-support records of some 53,000 young Australians and their parents.
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A dynamic understanding of labour market mobility of new migrants. Australia is an immigrant country. Despite this, we know little about the factors that enable some migrants to integrate quickly and successfully into the labour market, while others do not. This project will use an excellent set of longitudinal data that follow new migrants over a period of three and a half years. It will apply sophisticated panel data econometric techniques to identify the causes of their success or otherwise ....A dynamic understanding of labour market mobility of new migrants. Australia is an immigrant country. Despite this, we know little about the factors that enable some migrants to integrate quickly and successfully into the labour market, while others do not. This project will use an excellent set of longitudinal data that follow new migrants over a period of three and a half years. It will apply sophisticated panel data econometric techniques to identify the causes of their success or otherwise in the labour market. It will also examine the link between labour market success and the overall settlement experience, including satisfaction with life in Australia, of migrants.Read moreRead less
150 low income Australians: a group biography over time. This project has significant potential to contribute social and economic benefits. In 2004-5, the Commonwealth is to spend some $20 billion on these income support programs, which are received by over 2 million citizens. There is significant national and international policy focus on welfare-to-work measures. Major changes in Australia for PPS and DSP recipients are to be implemented from mid-2006, and the project will enable us to better ....150 low income Australians: a group biography over time. This project has significant potential to contribute social and economic benefits. In 2004-5, the Commonwealth is to spend some $20 billion on these income support programs, which are received by over 2 million citizens. There is significant national and international policy focus on welfare-to-work measures. Major changes in Australia for PPS and DSP recipients are to be implemented from mid-2006, and the project will enable us to better understand how these changes are experienced. This most recent package of measures is also linked to policy concerns about expanding the workforce as the population ages. The project findings will contribute substantially to the priority goal of strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric.Read moreRead less
Creating effective local labour markets - a new framework for regional employment policy. The Project will develop a new framework for designing regional employment policy aimed at providing effective solutions to persistently high unemployment across Australia. It will integrate the renewed international focus on public employment strategies and local partnerships with existing and other emerging policy directions. The international experience in adapting national employment policy to local con ....Creating effective local labour markets - a new framework for regional employment policy. The Project will develop a new framework for designing regional employment policy aimed at providing effective solutions to persistently high unemployment across Australia. It will integrate the renewed international focus on public employment strategies and local partnerships with existing and other emerging policy directions. The international experience in adapting national employment policy to local conditions and the feasibility of local public job creation will be evaluated. The findings will refine a proposal for a Community Development Job Guarantee. The Project will develop innovative assessment mechanisms for matching the local unemployed with local job opportunities to enhance regional labour market outcomes.Read moreRead less
Negotiating caring and employment - the impact on carers' wellbeing. Work and caring compete for carers? time. Little is known about the difficulties of combining work with the care of adults or children with disabilities. Between 40 and 60 percent of Australian carers combine employment with caring responsibilities. The project proposes to adopt a life-course perspective to study the effect of caring on income security, social participation and the health of employed carers. It makes innovative ....Negotiating caring and employment - the impact on carers' wellbeing. Work and caring compete for carers? time. Little is known about the difficulties of combining work with the care of adults or children with disabilities. Between 40 and 60 percent of Australian carers combine employment with caring responsibilities. The project proposes to adopt a life-course perspective to study the effect of caring on income security, social participation and the health of employed carers. It makes innovative use of existing data sources, including new longitudinal survey data, supported by a specially designed program of qualitative research to study key transitions, possible workplace solutions and the effective provision of human services.Read moreRead less