Sailing into the Future: Training Australia's digital generation for the future demands of the new economy. The Young Endeavour tall ship in association with the Department of Navy provides a team-building and skill development training scheme for all Australian youth. The purpose of the training is to provide young people with life-long skills; to provide a positive experience that will resonate through the adult life of those who sail on the ship, and to prepare these individuals for a future ....Sailing into the Future: Training Australia's digital generation for the future demands of the new economy. The Young Endeavour tall ship in association with the Department of Navy provides a team-building and skill development training scheme for all Australian youth. The purpose of the training is to provide young people with life-long skills; to provide a positive experience that will resonate through the adult life of those who sail on the ship, and to prepare these individuals for a future that is always and already undergoing changes both enconomic and social. The purpose of this research project is to ensure that the aims of the Young Endeavour Youth Scheme are met, and to create a long-term planning strategy that will improve and expand the work of the training scheme in anticipation of the next 10 years.
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Ethnographies of housing: exploring the role of housing officers in public housing service provision. This research examines the everyday practice of public housing officers working in the Victorian Office of Housing. It aims to analyse the ways that workers exercise discretion, and the patterns of meanings that they construct, through their interactions with clients, departmental managers and other human service providers. It is the first ethnographic study of front-line work in housing servi ....Ethnographies of housing: exploring the role of housing officers in public housing service provision. This research examines the everyday practice of public housing officers working in the Victorian Office of Housing. It aims to analyse the ways that workers exercise discretion, and the patterns of meanings that they construct, through their interactions with clients, departmental managers and other human service providers. It is the first ethnographic study of front-line work in housing services in Australia and builds on comparable work done in the United Kingdom and America. The knowledge generated will inform innovation in public housing services, housing policy debates and emerging programs designed to integrate housing with other human services.Read moreRead less
Working late and the spectre of uselessness: Sustaining labour supply in a globalising economy. A buoyant economy and strong employment growth resulting in unfilled vacancies is frustrating business. Population ageing may exacerbate this, reducing labour supply and consequently industrial output. To assist, the Government is recommending increased employment among older workers. As yet, the evidence base for informing actions is inadequate but points to complex scenarios where older workers may ....Working late and the spectre of uselessness: Sustaining labour supply in a globalising economy. A buoyant economy and strong employment growth resulting in unfilled vacancies is frustrating business. Population ageing may exacerbate this, reducing labour supply and consequently industrial output. To assist, the Government is recommending increased employment among older workers. As yet, the evidence base for informing actions is inadequate but points to complex scenarios where older workers may not necessarily fair well. Better understanding the determinants of their employment and of employer actions would help clarify the role of public policy. Also, understanding how other nations are responding is of strategic importance as this will directly influence the Australian labour market.Read moreRead less
Will older workers change their retirement plans in line with the Government’s calls for later retirement? The study will inform and contribute to the integration of retirement policy reform across all tiers of Government. It will especially project probabilities of change in workforce and retirement behaviour, and evaluate the likely efficacy of policy measures aimed at encouraging labour market participation among older workers and reversing current trends to early retirement. The study is tim ....Will older workers change their retirement plans in line with the Government’s calls for later retirement? The study will inform and contribute to the integration of retirement policy reform across all tiers of Government. It will especially project probabilities of change in workforce and retirement behaviour, and evaluate the likely efficacy of policy measures aimed at encouraging labour market participation among older workers and reversing current trends to early retirement. The study is timely because population ageing in Australia is just becoming a factor in labour market considerations, but its effects (which differ markedly by region) will soon escalate. Read moreRead less
Transition to retirement by adults with chronic disabilities: increasing community capacity. This project will contribute to healthy, productive ageing by people with chronic disabilities. This group are living longer and will retire from their disability-specific supported employment and day program services. They then risk social exclusion, loneliness and associated poor health outcomes. This project will provide training and support to local community groups and voluntary work settings, to in ....Transition to retirement by adults with chronic disabilities: increasing community capacity. This project will contribute to healthy, productive ageing by people with chronic disabilities. This group are living longer and will retire from their disability-specific supported employment and day program services. They then risk social exclusion, loneliness and associated poor health outcomes. This project will provide training and support to local community groups and voluntary work settings, to increase community capacity to support this group to participate actively in and contribute to their community in retirement. This will result in increased participation by this group and improvements in their well-being. Training resources developed by the project will be available to disability service providers nationally.Read moreRead less
Impact of parents' employment on children's well-being: The influence of employment quality, time and activities with children, and parenting practices. Most Australian children now grow-up in families where both their mother and their father are employed. Using a new national dataset, this research examines how parents' working conditions are related to children's well-being. It is proposed that parents' availability, resources, and family functioning mediate between parental employment and chi ....Impact of parents' employment on children's well-being: The influence of employment quality, time and activities with children, and parenting practices. Most Australian children now grow-up in families where both their mother and their father are employed. Using a new national dataset, this research examines how parents' working conditions are related to children's well-being. It is proposed that parents' availability, resources, and family functioning mediate between parental employment and child outcomes. The Growing-Up in Australia study (available in 2005) surveys 10,000 children, combining measures of child well-being, existing validated measures of work conditions and family functioning, with a new child-focused diary that measures time and activities undertaken with children. New knowledge generated will inform future policy development.Read moreRead less
Job quality and the mental health and well-being of working parents and their children. Maximizing workforce participation is a national priority, essential to support an ageing population. Also critical is the full development of children's capabilities; part of a healthy start to life. Jobs, parents, children and family life lie at the centre of these priorities. Although employment supports families financially, this may come at a cost if aspects of the job affect parent well-being, or strain ....Job quality and the mental health and well-being of working parents and their children. Maximizing workforce participation is a national priority, essential to support an ageing population. Also critical is the full development of children's capabilities; part of a healthy start to life. Jobs, parents, children and family life lie at the centre of these priorities. Although employment supports families financially, this may come at a cost if aspects of the job affect parent well-being, or strains family relationships, which are critical to children's development and well-being. As well as informing industrial relations changes, this project will benefit the twin economic and social policy goals of workforce participation while at the same time supporting the health and well-being of parents and their children.Read moreRead less
Ageing Baby Boomers in Australia (ABBA): Informing Actions For Better Retirement. The research will improve understanding of baby boomers & inform action to achieve positive outcomes individually & for an ageing Australia. It will: 1)inform baby boomers of ways in which their actions in late middle age can increase the chance of having satisfying healthy lives in retirement; 2)inform employers & governments on key factors enabling people to work longer; 3)challenge stereotypes of baby boomers b ....Ageing Baby Boomers in Australia (ABBA): Informing Actions For Better Retirement. The research will improve understanding of baby boomers & inform action to achieve positive outcomes individually & for an ageing Australia. It will: 1)inform baby boomers of ways in which their actions in late middle age can increase the chance of having satisfying healthy lives in retirement; 2)inform employers & governments on key factors enabling people to work longer; 3)challenge stereotypes of baby boomers by showing their variability over the life course & in retirement; 4)provide four researchers with knowledge & expertise in applied, multi-disciplinary research on individual & population ageing; 5)identify baby boomers' expectations for themselves, governments, & the community to guide directions for Australia's response to ageing.Read moreRead less
Negotiating Transitions to Retirement. This project will track diverse pathways in work/retirement transitions, by analysing how the present policy mix accommodates shifts in labour markets, demographic shifts and shifts in households and income distributions. Focused on cohorts aged 45 to 64, it firstly analyses national data sets to track the impact of the current policy mix in terms of income security, industrial relations, housing, health, education and training and work/life. Secondly, i ....Negotiating Transitions to Retirement. This project will track diverse pathways in work/retirement transitions, by analysing how the present policy mix accommodates shifts in labour markets, demographic shifts and shifts in households and income distributions. Focused on cohorts aged 45 to 64, it firstly analyses national data sets to track the impact of the current policy mix in terms of income security, industrial relations, housing, health, education and training and work/life. Secondly, it draws on qualitative data to further examine how these transitions are played out. The research will develop a new policy matrix for older workers that addresses risk, social exclusion and social protection.Read moreRead less
Social transformation and international migration in the 21st century. Understanding the factors that shape international migration is crucial for Australia, because planned immigration remains a cornerstone of policy, yet traditional assumptions on the predominance of permanent settlement and the geographical controllability of movement are losing their validity. This project will help create the social scientific tools for new approaches to understanding migration and diversity at the global, ....Social transformation and international migration in the 21st century. Understanding the factors that shape international migration is crucial for Australia, because planned immigration remains a cornerstone of policy, yet traditional assumptions on the predominance of permanent settlement and the geographical controllability of movement are losing their validity. This project will help create the social scientific tools for new approaches to understanding migration and diversity at the global, regional and national levels. It will help Australian governments and civil society address new challenges in this field. It will also contribute to developing a highly-trained workforce for fundamental research on migration and social transformation. Read moreRead less