The working years
The Brotherhood has identified sustainable paid work as critical to reducing the risk of social exclusion, while recognising that many people move in and out of the workforce for reasons of family responsibilities, economic change, further training or personal health.
Population and labour force data show a large number of job seekers and income support recipients who could take up jobs if they received better integrated support and skills development. We have focused our research efforts on advocating reform of the employment assistance system, because addressing the multiple barriers to gaining employment is vital to improving Australia’s workforce participation rate.
With the economic downturn, it is even more important to identify the most effective policies to prevent and respond to long-term unemployment. Current research projects include:
Understanding employer barriers and benefits in taking on disadvantaged jobseekers
Contact Michael Horn mhorn@nullbsl.org.au
The Brotherhood is collaborating with the Melbourne Business School, through its Asia Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre, in a two-year study of the factors affecting employers taking on disadvantaged jobseekers. This research, funded by the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust, will use the integrated service model of the Brotherhood's Line of Sight strategy in the City of Yarra in inner Melbourne to investigate the attitudes and behaviour of employers and the barriers they face. The findings will be used to influence changes to labour market and workforce diversity policies to increase the take-up of disadvantaged jobseekers into work, thereby reducing welfare costs for governments and providing recruitment solutions for employers.
Centre for Work and Learning evaluation
Contact Dina Bowman dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
The Centre for Work and Learning is a Brotherhood community employment initiative in inner Melbourne funded by the federal Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. It aims to deliver an integrated, client-centred response to high local unemployment. An evaluation of the Centre’s impact is being implemented by Brotherhood researchers. A baseline survey of public housing residents was undertaken to inform the service delivery.
Report
Lauren SIegmann 2010, Work and learning in Fitzroy, Richmond and Collingwood: survey of public housing residents (PDF file, 372 KB)
Flexicurity
Contact Paul Smyth psmyth@nullbsl.org.au
‘Flexicurity’ can be understood as a policy framework, well developed in Europe, to balance flexibility for employers (making it easier to hire and fire according to need) on the one hand, with improved unemployment benefits and training and assistance in regaining employment for workers on the other. The Brotherhood is investigating the relevance of flexicurity to the Australian context.
In June 2010, the Research and Policy Centre hosted a roundtable with participants from the Business Council of Australia, the Australian Council of Trade Unions and the federal government, as well as universities and the community sector.
Working paper
James Allebone 2010, Flexibility with security: driving a new compact down under? (PDF file, 206 KB)
Roundtable report and papers
Flexicurity and Australia roundtable report (PDF file, 368 KB)
Presentations and papers from the Flexicurity and Australia roundtable are also available.
Workforce participation among baby boomers in Australia
Contact: Dina Bowman dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
This research involves both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse the characteristics of those baby boomers who are currently not in paid employment, with particular attention to differences between those who are voluntarily or involuntarily not working, and between men and women. It will also explore the barriers to participation for this group of mature Australians, and their diverse experiences and attitudes.
NATSEM, University of Canberra, conducted a quantitative analysis of data from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics (HILDA) survey. Brotherhood researchers undertook a small qualitative study that provides insight into the experience of mature-age Australians who are not in paid employment.
Reports
Honge (Cathy) Gong and Justine McNamara 2011,
Workforce participation and non-participation among baby boomers in Australia: a profile from HILDA data, full report (PDF file, 340 KB) published by NATSEM
Dina Bowman and Helen Kimberley 2011, Sidelined! Workforce participation and non-participation among baby boomers in Australia (PDF file, 361 KB) Summary (PDF file, 131 KB)
Nicole Berrell 2011, Workforce participation and non-participation among baby boomers in Australia: a life-course outline and literature review (PDF file, 302 KB) research support document
Helen Kimberley and Dina Bowman 2011, 'Understanding mature-age workforce participation in Australia', in Tabatha Griffin and Francesca Beddie (eds) Older workers: research readings, NCVER, Adelaide.
Training for work
Contact Dina Bowman dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
The Training for Work study analysed the characteristics of participants in training programs run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence, and explored the factors that helped or hindered the successful completion of training and the transition into paid employment. The study found that for many trainees, a certificate or qualification is not sufficient to enable them to get and keep a job: support and mentoring are essential.
Report
Dina Bowman and Nicole Souery 2010, Training for work: insights from students and trainees at the Brotherhood of St Laurence (PDF file, 515 KB)
Making work pay: incentives to engage in paid work
Contact: Eve Bodsworth ebodsworth@nullbsl.org.au
This project examined the financial incentives and non-financial factors influencing the decision to return to work or to increase working hours for two groups thought to be affected by high effective marginal tax rates, single parents and unemployed people. The findings inform the Brotherhood’s policy and advocacy work relating to taxation.
Report
Eve Bodworth 2010, Making work pay and making income support work(PDF file, 604 KB)
Making work pay summary (PDF file, 136 KB)
Pathways to employment for disadvantaged job seekers
Contact: Michael Horn mhorn@nullbsl.org.au
An important research focus for the Brotherhood has been providing evidence to support a new approach to employment assistance, to better address the multilayered barriers which people face to gaining employment. The Australian Government has recognised the need for reform in its reconfiguration of the Job Network into Job Services Australia. The Brotherhood will monitor the new system’s performance to ensure it is responsive and effective for disadvantaged job seekers.
Paper
Michael Horn 2008, Rethinking employment assistance to strengthen social and economic participation, paper presented to the 2008 Economic and Social Outlook Conference, Melbourne, 27 March (PDF file, 66 KB)
Book chapter
Bowman, D and Horn, M 2010, ‘The Australian experience of employment services: what have we learnt?’, in D Ben-Galim and A Sachrajda (eds), Now it’s personal: learning from welfare-to-work approaches around the world, Institute for Public Policy Research, London, pp.8–10.
Policy submissions
Sustainable outcomes for disadvantaged job seekers: submission to the Australian Government on the Future of Employment Assistance February 2008 (PDF file, 150 KB)
Submission to the Australian Government on the Future of Employment Services in Australia discussion paper June 2008 (PDF file, 65 KB)
Response to the Exposure Draft of the New Employment Services 2009–2012 Purchasing Arrangements August 2008 (PDF file, 42 KB)
Line of sight: better tailored services for highly diadvantaged job seekers, submission re future employment services from 2012 January 2011 (PDF file, 250 KB)
Presentation to Inquiry into Social Security Legislation Amendment (Job seeker compliance) Bill 2011 April 2011 (PDF file, 64 KB)
Integrated support for disadvantaged job seekers
Contact: Dina Bowman dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
Following our evaluation of the Personal Support Programme (PSP), the Brotherhood partnered with the agency Employment Focus to trial the Individual Placement and Support (IPS) approach to employment assistance with a group of people eligible for PSP. The IPS model emphasises rapid access to mental health support and a pathway to employment matching individual preferences and aspirations.
Our evaluation of the implementation of IPS in this setting, funded by the Leith and Buckland philanthropic trusts, has informed advocacy on best practice within the Job Services Australia employment assistance system. Findings will be used to develop a larger trial integrating specialist mental health support with employment assistance for highly disadvantaged job seekers.
Further insights about integrated services were gained from a visit to New Zealand in May 2010 to see that country's new Community Link model in action.
Reports
Dina Bowman and Jyden Lawlor 2010 Evidence and experience: report on the Individual Placement and Support project for disadvantaged job seekers with mental health issues (PDF file, 704 KB)
Michael Horn 2010 Community Link in New Zealand: report based on site visits and key stakeholder consultations (PDF file, 208 KB)
Paper
Jyden Lawlor and Daniel Perkins 2009, Integrated support to overcome severe employment barriers Social Policy Working Paper no.9 (PDF file, 134 KB)
Job pathways: employment retention and advancement
Contact: Dina Bowman dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
This four-year study, supported by an Australian Research Council Linkage grant, aims to identify the factors that assist people who have been unemployed to retain jobs and build career paths. It considers the situation of disadvantaged groups such as Indigenous Australians, as well as sole parents and people with minor disabilities who have experienced long spells out of the workforce. The Brotherhood is a partner in this project with the University of Melbourne, the University of Bristol and the London School of Economics.
The findings will be important for employment policy development in Australia, indicating ways to improve the human capital of disadvantaged entrants to the labour market and thereby reduce long-term poverty and social exclusion.
Articles and papers
Dina Bowman 2011, ‘What would help people to gain and retain decent work? Research insights’, Brotherhood Comment, August, pp. 4–5. (PDF file, 310 KB)
Dina Bowman 2011, ‘What would help? Insights from low paid workers and disadvantaged jobseekers’, paper presented to the Australian Social Policy Conference, Sydney, 7 July.
Daniel Perkins, Lauren Tyrrell and Rosanna Scutella 2009, ‘Is career advancement important to disadvantaged jobseekers? Analysis of a large survey of disadvantaged jobseekers‘, paper presented to the Australian Social Policy Conference, 8–10 July.
Lauren Tyrrell 2009, ‘Getting ahead: is career advancement important to disadvantaged job seekers?’, Brotherhood Comment, August, pp. 4–5. (PDF file, 272 KB)
Lauren Tyrrell 2008, ‘Tracking employment progress: the Employment Retention and Advancement Project’, Brotherhood Comment, November, p. 9. (PDF file, 442 KB)
Daniel Perkins and Rosanna Scutella 2008, ‘Improving employment retention and advancement of low-paid workers’, Australian Journal of Labour Economics, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 97–114.
Associated report
Daniel Kuehnle and Rosanna Scutella 2011, Employment retention in the economic downturn, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research (PDF file, 548 KB)
Balancing trust and control in the provision of disability employment services
Contact: Dina Bowman dbowman@nullbsl.org.au
The Brotherhood is an industry partner in this research project to review outcomes for disability employment services under the new contracting arrangements introduced in 2010. Funded by an ARC Linkage grant, the project is led by Anne Nevile and Janine O'Flynn, Crawford School of Economics and Government at the Australian National University, and Ian Marsh, Graduate School of Government, University of Tasmania.
Report
Anne Nevile and Rosemary Lohman 2011 'It is like they just don’t trust us': balancing trust and control in the provision of disability employment services Australian National University, Canberra (PDF file, 600 KB)