Over the past 25 years, the Australian workforce has become more casualised, with approximately one-quarter of the workforce in casual employment today. One of the highest users of casual employees is the higher education sector, where casual academics (referred to as sessionals in the Australian context) are estimated to account for 50% of the…

Drawing on primary data and adjunct material, this article adopts a critical self-reflexive approach to a three-year, Australian Research Council-funded project that explored themes around "employment citizenship" for high school students in Queensland. The article addresses three overlapping areas that reflect some of the central…

The use of casual staff, including casual teaching staff, is a common practice in Australian universities and the numbers of casual staff in the sector has increased significantly in the last decade. The traditional profile for casual teachers was that of industry expert and students. Recent research has shown that the casual teacher is now more…

This paper reports on the results of a survey of destinations for students from librarianship and records management courses at Curtin University of Technology for the period 1998-2002. The survey includes the type of work currently being undertaken by graduates, the security of tenure in their position, the level of professionalism in their…

This document was produced by the author(s) based on their research for the report "Cross- Cultural Training and Workplace Performance" (ED503402). It contains the following materials related to the report: (1) Primary approach letters; (2) Tests for statistical significance; (3) Survey of current cross-cultural training practice; (4)…

This report presents the findings of a study into the experiences of non-English speaking background (NESB) migrant women in the Australian workforce. The fieldwork, which involved interviewing over 100 immigrant women living and working in Sydney, was carried out in 1988 and 1989. The study also involved an extensive review of Australian and…

In view of recent Australian government policy favoring multiculturalism, a research study was undertaken to investigate the effect of literacy, bilingualism, and adult education and training on non-English speaking background (NESB) women in Australian society. NESB women have been identified as a migrant group with both special needs and…

This study investigated ways in which Australian vocational education and training (VET) students in the 1990s combined study and work to prepare for future long-term career paths. The study was conducted throughout 1998 in three technical and further education (TAFE) institutes in three states, using the following methods: a survey of about 1,400…

A study examined the outcomes attained by 389 indigenous students who completed programs at the 4 largest Aboriginal community-controlled adult education colleges in the 9-member Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers (FIAEP). The survey, which elicited a 57% response rate, established that, although a very large percentage of…

The effectiveness of initial vocational education and training (VET) and support services in preparing early school leavers in Australia to negotiate an effective transition from school to adult roles was examined in a study that focused on two areas of the Central Coast of New South Wales. The following three data collection activities were used:…

Case studies of 16 firms across Australia that employ adult apprentices in the "traditional" trades were conducted to identify innovative ways of getting adults into the trades. The case studies included interviews with the firms' apprentice managers, training providers, and adult apprentices. Although some adult-friendly innovations…

The effects that recent changes in Australia's vocational education and training (VET) system over the past decade have had on VET practitioners were examined. Interviews were conducted with 28 VET teachers working at a variety of sites across Australia, including technical and further education, adult and community education, private colleges,…

Recent changes in the nature of work in Australia's process manufacturing industry and their impact on operative-level workers and vocational education and training (VET) were examined. Structured interviews were conducted with training or human resource managers in 16 firms representing a cross-section of small, medium, and large enterprises…