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
A ten-year comparative analysis of work, benefit and skill trajectories of parallel cohorts of trade and bachelor graduates' working lives. The identification and understanding of the job, skill and benefit trajectories experienced by young skilled workers will contribute to the development of improved national workforce policies. Employers could develop more effective recruitment, retention and training practices for different types of upwardly mobile skilled workers. Governments could improve ....A ten-year comparative analysis of work, benefit and skill trajectories of parallel cohorts of trade and bachelor graduates' working lives. The identification and understanding of the job, skill and benefit trajectories experienced by young skilled workers will contribute to the development of improved national workforce policies. Employers could develop more effective recruitment, retention and training practices for different types of upwardly mobile skilled workers. Governments could improve policies to maintain and extend skilled workers, promote needed skilled trade and degree pathways to youth and develop more effective life long learning strategies for adults. Identifying the social reasons for job and skill change will also assist governments, employers and individuals to develop new educational approaches to improve recruitment, skill retention and market expansion. Read moreRead less
Technological innovation, trade liberalization, unemployment, and policy design. Australia, like all economies, is heavily influenced by technological changes and shifting trade patterns. Understanding these influences, and the impact they have on the distribution of income, the unemployment rate, and the job mix, is very important for the design of appropriate policy initiatives. The proposed research aims to achieve exactly this by developing a mathematical model which incorporates technologic ....Technological innovation, trade liberalization, unemployment, and policy design. Australia, like all economies, is heavily influenced by technological changes and shifting trade patterns. Understanding these influences, and the impact they have on the distribution of income, the unemployment rate, and the job mix, is very important for the design of appropriate policy initiatives. The proposed research aims to achieve exactly this by developing a mathematical model which incorporates technological change, trade, and unemployment. The model will be used to analyse the effects of these changes and, thus, to design optimal policy. The results from this project should also stimulate policy discussions both within Australia and abroad - enriching academic relations between domestic and international universities.Read moreRead less
Blended payment systems for doctors: evaluation of an experiment. The results of the study will provide new evidence for health care policy makers in Australia (and internationally) on the effects of changing the remuneration system for GPs on the costs and quality of health care provided. The study will examine effects in the national priority and national health priority areas of preventive health care and chronic disease. The results will be relevant to other countries, such as the US and U ....Blended payment systems for doctors: evaluation of an experiment. The results of the study will provide new evidence for health care policy makers in Australia (and internationally) on the effects of changing the remuneration system for GPs on the costs and quality of health care provided. The study will examine effects in the national priority and national health priority areas of preventive health care and chronic disease. The results will be relevant to other countries, such as the US and UK, where blended payments schemes exist for GPs but have not been evaluated. Read moreRead less
Evaluating the impact of Indigenous preferential procurement programs. This project aims to conduct a multi-disciplinary, multi-method evaluation of the implementation and impacts of Indigenous preferential procurement programs (IPPPs) on Indigenous businesses, Indigenous communities, procurers’ operations and outcomes. Bringing together researchers in partnership with corporate and government procurers, Indigenous data custodians and the Australian Bureau of Statistics we aim to produce a signi ....Evaluating the impact of Indigenous preferential procurement programs. This project aims to conduct a multi-disciplinary, multi-method evaluation of the implementation and impacts of Indigenous preferential procurement programs (IPPPs) on Indigenous businesses, Indigenous communities, procurers’ operations and outcomes. Bringing together researchers in partnership with corporate and government procurers, Indigenous data custodians and the Australian Bureau of Statistics we aim to produce a significant national program evaluation of IPPPs and the impact at the community level. The project aims to highlight ways in which IPPPs can be [re]designed to reduce implementation friction, facilitate access and participation among Indigenous businesses and help guarantee positive effects on Indigenous communities.Read moreRead less
State & territory economic performance and national economic policy. The research is intended to provide a better understanding of the relationship between national and state & territory economic behaviour in Australia and the relative strengths of common and idiosyncratic factors affecting economic performance across the states and territories. The results of the research will help to inform both national and sub-national economic policies and hence contribute to better economic and social outc ....State & territory economic performance and national economic policy. The research is intended to provide a better understanding of the relationship between national and state & territory economic behaviour in Australia and the relative strengths of common and idiosyncratic factors affecting economic performance across the states and territories. The results of the research will help to inform both national and sub-national economic policies and hence contribute to better economic and social outcomes in Australia.Read moreRead less
Competition in medical labour markets. A sharp increase in the supply of medical practitioners has occurred in Australia. This is expensive and has uncertain effects on population health, earnings, and the distribution of medical practitioners. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of competition and increased supply on the prices charged, the quality of care provided, and the health status of patients. The research also aims to examine the location choices of medical practitioners an ....Competition in medical labour markets. A sharp increase in the supply of medical practitioners has occurred in Australia. This is expensive and has uncertain effects on population health, earnings, and the distribution of medical practitioners. The aim of this project is to examine the impact of competition and increased supply on the prices charged, the quality of care provided, and the health status of patients. The research also aims to examine the location choices of medical practitioners and is expected to generate new and important evidence using unique longitudinal data.Read moreRead less
Effects on Labour Supply, Savings and Welfare of the July 2007 Policy Changes to Superannuation and the Age Pension. This proposal's central question falls within the priority goal of 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'. Understanding the effects of alternative superannuation tax arrangements is crucial in view of concerns regarding aggregate private savings and labour force participation in an ageing economy. Low savings or participation could have implications for sustained ....Effects on Labour Supply, Savings and Welfare of the July 2007 Policy Changes to Superannuation and the Age Pension. This proposal's central question falls within the priority goal of 'Strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric'. Understanding the effects of alternative superannuation tax arrangements is crucial in view of concerns regarding aggregate private savings and labour force participation in an ageing economy. Low savings or participation could have implications for sustained economic growth. This project's outcomes will provide an indication of the potential effects of policies on labour supply and savings. After further modifications, the model developed in this project can also address other questions in the context of life-cycle decisions under uncertainty, such as labour supply, fertility or health.Read moreRead less
Why poorer students are less likely to go to university: Theoretical and empirical evidence for Australia with implications for policy. This project will improve our understanding of the factors that lead to the under-representation of low income students in universities in Australia and other countries. The focus of the analysis will be the impact of a student's family and household environment and innate ability on their school performance, an essential pre-requisite for university admission, ....Why poorer students are less likely to go to university: Theoretical and empirical evidence for Australia with implications for policy. This project will improve our understanding of the factors that lead to the under-representation of low income students in universities in Australia and other countries. The focus of the analysis will be the impact of a student's family and household environment and innate ability on their school performance, an essential pre-requisite for university admission, together with the costs of university education. Identifying the relative importance of these factors in determining educational success will enable families, schools, universities and educational policy-makers to improve opportunities for high ability students from all socioeconomic backgrounds. This will in turn enhance economic growth and productivity, benefiting all Australians.Read moreRead less
Economic Modelling of the Nurses' Labour Market in Australia. Nurses play an important role in the health system and help to ensure individuals lead healthier, happier and more productive lives. Devising cost-effective policies to ensure an adequate supply of motivated and productive nurses is crucial in achieving efficiency and equity in the health care system. The results will be used by government to help set optimal pay and conditions for nurses, and to ensure that these are competitive with ....Economic Modelling of the Nurses' Labour Market in Australia. Nurses play an important role in the health system and help to ensure individuals lead healthier, happier and more productive lives. Devising cost-effective policies to ensure an adequate supply of motivated and productive nurses is crucial in achieving efficiency and equity in the health care system. The results will be used by government to help set optimal pay and conditions for nurses, and to ensure that these are competitive with other nurse employers. This will provide a firm evidence-base to reduce nurse shortages and therefore increase the quality of patient care in Australia.Read moreRead less