Creating sustainable employment for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups . This project aims to address long-term unemployment and labour market exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by generating new employer-led solutions. The project expects to create, with employers, successful strategies for recruiting disadvantaged workers into better quality jobs, and to co-produce best practice employer engagement toolkits and minimum job quality standards. Anticipated outcomes include increasi ....Creating sustainable employment for disadvantaged and vulnerable groups . This project aims to address long-term unemployment and labour market exclusion of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups by generating new employer-led solutions. The project expects to create, with employers, successful strategies for recruiting disadvantaged workers into better quality jobs, and to co-produce best practice employer engagement toolkits and minimum job quality standards. Anticipated outcomes include increasing the success of government-funded employment programs by improving employment opportunities and reducing cycling between work and welfare. Significant benefits for disadvantaged groups, businesses and society will result in increased employee wellbeing, organisational performance and economic competitiveness.Read moreRead less
Activating employment futures through work integration social enterprise. This project aims to understand how Australia can better include people experiencing disadvantage in employment. Social enterprises are increasingly recognised for creating work and pathways into work for those who are typically excluded. Yet, little is known about how they can scale their operations and effectively transition workers into mainstream jobs, and what can be learned from social enterprise in designing other i ....Activating employment futures through work integration social enterprise. This project aims to understand how Australia can better include people experiencing disadvantage in employment. Social enterprises are increasingly recognised for creating work and pathways into work for those who are typically excluded. Yet, little is known about how they can scale their operations and effectively transition workers into mainstream jobs, and what can be learned from social enterprise in designing other inclusive workplaces. Underpinned by a unique learning partnership, this project is expected to shed light on how decent and inclusive work through social enterprise can be grown. Project insights will contribute to more effective employment services and workplaces that increase the shared benefits of a diverse workforce.Read moreRead less
Improving employment outcomes for Australians with disability. This project aims to provide evidence about how to improve employment outcomes for people with disability. Nearly one in five adult Australians have a disability and just over half of these are in the labour force; a modest increase in employment rates will have significant social and economic benefits for people with disability and society. By collecting longitudinal quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data at three ti ....Improving employment outcomes for Australians with disability. This project aims to provide evidence about how to improve employment outcomes for people with disability. Nearly one in five adult Australians have a disability and just over half of these are in the labour force; a modest increase in employment rates will have significant social and economic benefits for people with disability and society. By collecting longitudinal quantitative (survey) and qualitative (interview) data at three time points from over 1500 jobseekers with disability, critical information should be gained about how the characteristics of employment services, workplaces and jobseekers contribute to sustainable, meaningful employment for people with disability.Read moreRead less
Capacity building and social enterprise: Individual and organisational transformation in transitional labour market programs. This research will produce new knowledge about the sustainability of social enterprise based transitional labour market programs, and contribute to the development of such programs nationally and internationally. The study of the factors that shape the success, or otherwise, of the most vulnerable, marginalised young people's involvement in these programs will contribute ....Capacity building and social enterprise: Individual and organisational transformation in transitional labour market programs. This research will produce new knowledge about the sustainability of social enterprise based transitional labour market programs, and contribute to the development of such programs nationally and internationally. The study of the factors that shape the success, or otherwise, of the most vulnerable, marginalised young people's involvement in these programs will contribute new knowledge about young people's transitions into labour markets. Together, these innovative understandings of social enterprise, marginalisation and social inclusion/transition will make significant contributions to the National Research Priority goals strengthening Australia's social and economic fabric and promoting an innovation culture and economy.Read moreRead less
Ending long-term homelessness permanently: How to make effective links between housing and long-term support. Australian services for homeless people typically provide short to medium-term assistance and accommodation. This approach struggles to meet the complex needs of the long-term homeless. Recently there has been considerable government investment in new approaches to end long-term homelessness, but evidence supporting the efficacy of these approaches is limited. This project builds on a fo ....Ending long-term homelessness permanently: How to make effective links between housing and long-term support. Australian services for homeless people typically provide short to medium-term assistance and accommodation. This approach struggles to meet the complex needs of the long-term homeless. Recently there has been considerable government investment in new approaches to end long-term homelessness, but evidence supporting the efficacy of these approaches is limited. This project builds on a four year Randomised Controlled Trial of the Journey to Social Inclusion pilot-program which was designed to end long-term homelessness. The project aims to track participants for an additional two years. The research aims to provide new knowledge on what practices and factors generate positive outcomes and what factors and practices sustain positive outcomes.Read moreRead less
Education and training and regional networks: the implications for outcomes and governance. The project will investigate local learning and employment networks (LLENs) that have been established in Victoria. It will analyse the effectiveness of networks in delivering education and training services and improving outcomes for young people. The inter- and intra-action of networks, and their relationships with government in policy formation will also be analysed. The project is located in a majo ....Education and training and regional networks: the implications for outcomes and governance. The project will investigate local learning and employment networks (LLENs) that have been established in Victoria. It will analyse the effectiveness of networks in delivering education and training services and improving outcomes for young people. The inter- and intra-action of networks, and their relationships with government in policy formation will also be analysed. The project is located in a major and unique innovation in education and training, and for the first time will apply meso level theory and methodology in this area of public policy. It will provide new findings on effectiveness of networks in education outcomes.Read moreRead less
The relocation tool kit: A guide for implementing relocation policies that enhance residents health and well-being and social inclusion. The project aims to identify and rank in order of importance key factors affecting the health, wellbeing and social inclusion of disadvantaged groups when they are rehoused as part of housing upgrading projects. This information will increase our understanding of the impacts of changes to housing quality, social networks (familial, friends), neighbourhood envir ....The relocation tool kit: A guide for implementing relocation policies that enhance residents health and well-being and social inclusion. The project aims to identify and rank in order of importance key factors affecting the health, wellbeing and social inclusion of disadvantaged groups when they are rehoused as part of housing upgrading projects. This information will increase our understanding of the impacts of changes to housing quality, social networks (familial, friends), neighbourhood environments (reputation, socio-economic mix, services) and project management models (resident involvement, community consultation processes). The expected outcome is a tool kit for policy makers to form innovative responses to promote health and well being and social inclusion amongst the most disadvantaged groups in Australian society.Read moreRead less
Emerging from the shadows: the evaluation of intervention strategies to reduce social isolation amongst the aged. Social isolation imposes a high cost on affected individuals and the community at large. This project will determine what interventions work in addressing social isolation amongst the older population.
Understanding and reducing alcohol-related harm among young adults in urban settings: Opportunities for intervention. Alcohol use is a major contributing factor to injury and death, with 2634 young Australians dying from alcohol-related causes in the decade to 2004. Local governments (LGs) urgently require research evidence on which to base policy to reduce alcohol-related harms. The project will provide an analysis of patterns of alcohol consumption by young adults in inner and peri-urban (grow ....Understanding and reducing alcohol-related harm among young adults in urban settings: Opportunities for intervention. Alcohol use is a major contributing factor to injury and death, with 2634 young Australians dying from alcohol-related causes in the decade to 2004. Local governments (LGs) urgently require research evidence on which to base policy to reduce alcohol-related harms. The project will provide an analysis of patterns of alcohol consumption by young adults in inner and peri-urban (growth corridor) LG areas, along with information about how young adults view alcohol use. In collaboration with industry partners VicHealth, the Victorian Department of Human Services, the Municipal Association of Victoria and LGs in Hume and Yarra, specific policy recommendations for implementation at LG, state and national levels will be developed and disseminated. Read moreRead less
From entitlement to experiment: The new governance of welfare to work. This project aims to model and explain the governance dynamics of welfare to work in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Australia regularly undertakes major governance reforms in providing welfare to the unemployed and other groups in need. In this dynamic environment, welfare agencies are struggling to deliver benefits to the most disadvantaged people. Services must balance the need to meet central performance re ....From entitlement to experiment: The new governance of welfare to work. This project aims to model and explain the governance dynamics of welfare to work in Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. Australia regularly undertakes major governance reforms in providing welfare to the unemployed and other groups in need. In this dynamic environment, welfare agencies are struggling to deliver benefits to the most disadvantaged people. Services must balance the need to meet central performance requirements against the desire to help clients. The project aims to create a new framework for understanding how policy instruments and design experiments can improve services for those who are in need.Read moreRead less