The use of casual contract employment has become a prominent feature in higher education institutions worldwide, including the growth of adjunct roles in the United States and fixed-term teaching staff positions in the UK. In Australia, this trend has been a subject of significant controversy and national attention in recent years, as casual…

The idea of pathways indicates many possible journeys to some destination or outcome. Hence, even if everyone agreed that Indigenous school leavers should be moving towards "productive" employment, it is not easy to talk about "what works" as there are different paths that may suit different people. Indeed given the diverse…

A survey of 2,528 Australian organizations found that 44% had used some teleworkers, 15% did regularly. Larger organizations were more likely to use them. Most telework was done at home. In one-third of companies all teleworkers were male, in one-fourth over 75% were female. Teleworkers were most likely to be in management, information technology,…

Because of attitudes and policies, women academics are clustered in service rather than career areas of their professions. The social and academic results of this underrepresentation include the loss of valuable contributions from women. Policy areas needing change are employment conditions, inclusion in decision making, and child care. (MSE)

The paper discusses work training and employability of the mildly retarded in Australia, and reports on a pilot survey of patterns of employment of the mildly retarded. Employment prospects for the mentally handicapped are reviewed. Factors seen as influencing the employment of the mildly retarded include psychological variables, employer…

This paper was developed to present to the Technical and Further Educatoin (TAFE) Department in New South Wales alternative approaches to curriculum development to assist the department in choosing an appropriate approach that will meet the current and future needs for an efficient, effective, and streamlined curriculum development process. The…

A study investigated implications of the increase in non-standard forms of employment (casual work, working through labor-hire companies, and work that is outsourced) for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. Data sources were published statistics on growth of non-standard work; research on reasons for the growth and the business…

Leading-edge firms (LEFs)--at the forefront of their industry in terms of growth or market share--may influence skill development through diffusion of technology, products, or practices and use of market power to set standards or change customer businesses. Study of LEFs can identify the type and mix of skills needed in the industry. LEFs are…

This volume presents 6 papers by 22 labor economists who examine and address worker displacement in 10 industrialized countries (Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Japan, Netherlands, United States). "Summary and Synthesis" (Peter J. Kuhn) discusses these four categories of lessons learned from panel…

This publication contains materials from a forum on the changing nature of work (CNW) that brought together researchers and research users to hear how to use findings to improve vocational education and training (VET) in Australia. An overview of the program and biographical information on presenters and panel members follow. The next section…

This book contains nine papers that were presented to the Sociology and Social Policy section of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. The first paper, "Introduction: Work and Employment in the 1990s" (Richard Brown), puts work and employment in a historical context and examines how globalization of the economy has…

The problems facing young people in Australia's current labor market and the effectiveness of Australia's educational system in preparing young people for the labor market were examined. Particular attention was paid to the following issues: the reshaping of work in the modern labor market; skill development in the modern labor market; the impact…

A study analyzed mitigating conditions and factors that prevented the uptake of apprenticeships and traineeships among young people aged 15-19 years of age who had left school in Victoria, Australia. Data were based on a thesis completed in May 2000 involving analysis of theoretical research, observation in the field, and case study interviews…

Ideas about what constitutes work, the ways work is organized, the tools used in work, and the relationship between work and the other components of life are all changing rapidly. The implications of these changes for vocational education and training (VET) in Australia and elsewhere were examined. The following issues were considered: (1) the…

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…