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
Disability in rural Australia. In rural Australia 21.2 per cent of the population has a disability while in remote areas the number is 22.1 per cent yet rural disabled people are rarely heard in policy debates. This study, mapping the experiences of disabled people in non-metropolitan Australia is consequently of critical importance to government and disability advocacy groups.
Community spirit, social transformation, sustainable partnership: community capacity building for community transformations. This partnership is at the forefront of developments in the provision of community services. The project will contribute to a growing international field of research focused on developing integrated frameworks for measuring community wellbeing. The community capacity building approach will serve as a best practice model for other Australian municipalities. The indicators a ....Community spirit, social transformation, sustainable partnership: community capacity building for community transformations. This partnership is at the forefront of developments in the provision of community services. The project will contribute to a growing international field of research focused on developing integrated frameworks for measuring community wellbeing. The community capacity building approach will serve as a best practice model for other Australian municipalities. The indicators are a tool for engaging communities in making informal decisions and developing shared goals; a policy tool for evidence based planning; and a reporting tool to track and communicate progress towards agreed goals and outcomes. The outcomes will be efficient use of available funding for community services and lower cost of provision of social welfare.Read moreRead less
Creating Age Friendly Communities. The project aims to explore ways in which Australian communities can enhance the social belonging of their older citizens. The study addresses significant questions at the heart of age care: how to ensure that older people are able to remain active members of their communities, without feeling isolated as they age. The research will take place in an inner city community which is multi generational, economically and culturally diverse. The main expected outcome ....Creating Age Friendly Communities. The project aims to explore ways in which Australian communities can enhance the social belonging of their older citizens. The study addresses significant questions at the heart of age care: how to ensure that older people are able to remain active members of their communities, without feeling isolated as they age. The research will take place in an inner city community which is multi generational, economically and culturally diverse. The main expected outcome is the development of age friendly practices at community level. The project embodies concepts central to the mission of the Industry partner, St Ives Aged Care Services.Read moreRead less
Cultural continuity and change: Indigenous solutions to mental health issues. This project will investigate the Aboriginal understandings of mental health in Aboriginal populations in Perth and in Broome. Concepts of cultural continuity and social and emotional wellbeing will be examined, and the outcomes of this will inform services and policy to better meet the mental health needs of Indigenous people.
Enhancing School Retention: School and Community Linkages in Regional/Rural Western Australia. One of the most intractable issues confronting schools, communities and education systems in Australia, is how to create and sustain the conditions to retain young people for twelve years of schooling, particularly in regional/rural areas. This project will ethnographically map, investigate and describe a small number of schools and communities that have improved their levels of school retention. A Pr ....Enhancing School Retention: School and Community Linkages in Regional/Rural Western Australia. One of the most intractable issues confronting schools, communities and education systems in Australia, is how to create and sustain the conditions to retain young people for twelve years of schooling, particularly in regional/rural areas. This project will ethnographically map, investigate and describe a small number of schools and communities that have improved their levels of school retention. A Profile of Conditions Supporting Improved Retention will be developed and validated using an action research process. Finally, a set of materials focussing on the conditions promoting school retention, will be developed for wider use by schools and communities.Read moreRead less
Stewarding thin markets: improving public sector market effectiveness. This project aims to develop methodologies to identify thin markets in the public service sector. Thin markets, where there are a low number of buyers or low number of sellers, are a major risk for governments utilising a personalised approach to service delivery. This project will develop new methodologies for identifying thin markets and determine ways emerging markets can be stewarded to better achieve their aims.
Productive Pedagogies, Productive Schools and Gender Reform. This proposal seeks to document policy developments at federal, state and school systems in relation to boys' schooling and measure their effectiveness within a gender equity framework. It also seeks to document and evaluate the effectiveness of school structural and pedagogical reforms geared to better meeting the educational needs of boys without detracting from the education of girls. Finally, the study will map pedagogies and analy ....Productive Pedagogies, Productive Schools and Gender Reform. This proposal seeks to document policy developments at federal, state and school systems in relation to boys' schooling and measure their effectiveness within a gender equity framework. It also seeks to document and evaluate the effectiveness of school structural and pedagogical reforms geared to better meeting the educational needs of boys without detracting from the education of girls. Finally, the study will map pedagogies and analyse their effectiveness against such factors as the gender of the teacher and gender composition of classes, and subject domains, across both primary and secondary schools.Read moreRead less
Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Student Retention and Success in High School. This longitudinal study of the implementation of an Aboriginal secondary student retention and achievement program in ten centres in Western Australia will result in a policy and program framework for better education of Indigenous students. Policy formulation and the development of theoretical propositions regarding the ways schools and agencies work with Indigenous students will be an outcome of the project. This is ....Longitudinal Study of Indigenous Student Retention and Success in High School. This longitudinal study of the implementation of an Aboriginal secondary student retention and achievement program in ten centres in Western Australia will result in a policy and program framework for better education of Indigenous students. Policy formulation and the development of theoretical propositions regarding the ways schools and agencies work with Indigenous students will be an outcome of the project. This is a significant project because it will provide evidence of the success of potentially valuable strategies to encourage Indigenous students to remain at school, complete Year 12 and enter further education or the work force.Read moreRead less
Getting a job: vocationalism, identity formation and schooling in communities at disadvantage. This research will use young people's stories to investigate the barriers and obstacles to getting a job, and from their vantage point, identify the educational, policy and practice contexts that need to be created and more widely sustained in order to assist their career aspirations and life chances.