Research & Policy Projects

Young people from refugee backgrounds in the City of Hume will take photographs to shed light on their experiences of education or employment.

This project aims to support small community service organisations to adapt to changes in the human services sector and continue to contribute to their local communities.

This project engages with the Victorian implementation of LAC, a model known around the world for supporting people with disability to access funded and unfunded support and participate in their communities.

In partnership with La Trobe University, the Brotherhood is conducting research into local employment issues for refugees in the City of Hume. If you are a representative of a local service provider, a community organisation or an employer in Hume, we’d like to hear your views.

Australia's older workers on low incomes tend to have poorer health, but they are being expected to work longer.

Developing Independence is a certificate course to help residents of youth foyers to develop their personal vision and gain confidence to re-engage with learning, employment and community life.

This study will explore how low and moderate income Australian households are coping with financial uncertainty, especially with variations in wages or Centrelink payments from one week to the next.

This research examines the role of private registered training organisations in delivering training to young people who have left school early.

The way human services are funded is changing. There are new opportunities for community service organisations, but risks too. Do charitable providers have to choose between the money or the mission, or can we balance both?

Existing policy responses to workforce age discrimination tend to focus on the role of employers in providing opportunities for older Australians. This research project by contrast will focus on employment services and how their staff might work more effectively with mature-age jobseekers.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence worked with Monash Sustainability Institute and other project partners to assess the effectiveness of the Home Energy Efficiency Upgrade Program (HEEUP).

The development of three new education first ‘Youth Foyers’ in Victoria includes a research project to evaluate this integrated support to young people who are unable to live at home and are at risk of homelessness.

Australia faces a pressing need for quality flexible learning programs to cater for the increasing number of young people who are disengaging from schooling at an early age.

Information technology provides ever-expanding opportunities to communicate, gather information, conduct personal business, access service, and enjoy entertainment and hobbies.

The Brotherhood advocates for energy efficiency policy and program development, which assists low income households.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence is working to ensure energy efficient target schemes, which obligate energy retailers to reduce emissions, are fair and equitable.

The Brotherhood has joined the Australian Industry Group, CHOICE and the Energy Efficiency Council to seek decisive reforms to fix the electricity system and ease the burden on households and businesses.

‘Knowhow’ is the term used in this study to refer to the knowledge and skills needed to engage successfully in the complex social and economic environment of the 21st century.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence is involved in two research projects designed to support improved care for older people with dementia and their carers.

The Brotherhood has collaborated with the Melbourne Business School, through its Asia Pacific Social Impact Leadership Centre, in a study of employer engagement initiatives involving disadvantaged jobseekers.

This study explores the relationship between poverty and children’s chronic stress, and the mediating role of parenting and family environments.

The first stage of this research developed a framework for identifying capabilities and enhancing social inclusion of older Australians.

Stepping Stones offers training, mentoring and support to help women from refugee and migrant backgrounds expand their business skills and increase their participation in business and the community.

This study examines mature aged people's lived experience, pathways and outcomes of involuntary non-participation or underparticipation in paid work.

The Brotherhood has developed a community education and support project for young people based at the High Street Centre in Frankston.

Life Chances is a unique longitudinal study that examines how family income, social class, ethnicity and gender affect the lives of individuals.