Attitude change in employment of people who have a disability

This thesis is set in Ecological Systems Theory and found that direct experience with people who have a disability, rather than constructed scenarios, is the key to positive attitude change. Future research should utilize the powerful role stereotyped groups themselves have in attitude change through their own development and interaction with the environment.

Why has the rising economic tide failed to float the disability employment boat? A call to action : business,community, government and people power

It is well established that people with disabilities are under-represented in the workforce. Disability labour market scholars agree that there is a significant gap between labour market participation of people with disabilities and people without disabilities, with on-going labour market disadvantage widely reported. All indicate that notwithstanding the recent economic growth of Western economies, the employment rate for people with disabilities has not improved. This paper draws on the findings of three recent research projects on disability employment in Australia and on data from contemporary literature on workplace discrimination and proposes that a combination of more robust social inclusion policies and legislation, revitalised supported employment models, intensive social marketing, and radical disability advocacy is required.

Reflections on multicultural artists' employment and career prospects

This paper analyses multicultural artists' perceptions of their employment and career prospects in the arts. We do this first by reviewing the relatively small body of literature on multicultural artists' careers and supplement that with a literature review of general vocational development literature. Further, we examine the degree to which multicultural artists possess the generic employability skills necessary to gain and retain employment in Australia. We use data from a small-scale qualitative study, conducted in Western Australia, which identified artists' perceptions of barriers to participation in the arts in general and to paid employment in particular. From the literature and studied data, we propose a 'Dual Responsibilities Framework for Career Management of Multicultural Artists'.

Equal opportunity : dealing with employment discrimination

Experiences with the process of lodging a discrimination complaint with the Australian Human Rights Commission - issues surrounding confidentiality clauses in dispute settlement agreements.

Piecing together the puzzle of graduate employment : factors that shape the graduate work expectations of human resource management students

Providing graduates with a set of skills and attributes relevant to their future employment remains a key topic in both higher education policy and research. This paper reports findings from a pilot study of human resource management (HRM) students' perceptions of the graduate work experience. Specifically, it focuses on how these perceptions are shaped, driven by a concern for the uncertainty - and even fear - expressed by the study's participants in relation to their future workplace experiences. The influences of three key factors in shaping participants' expectations are discussed: the graduate recruitment experience, previous work experiences and 'graduate work folklore' from the stories of family and friends. With these influences not always providing students with a realistic picture of their future work experience, we conclude that educators need to improve the opportunities for practical experience and industry knowledge through work placements, stronger links with industry and increased exposure to the practicalities of work within the curriculum.

Pre-cursors to physical employment standards for rural tanker-based bushfire suppression work

This thesis quantified the physical demands of Australian rural bushfire suppression and developed a controlled bushfire simulation suitable for ongoing bushfire research. The findings of this thesis will be used to develop physical employment standards and OH&S strategies to protect the 200,000 volunteer firefighters Australia wide.

The activities and impacts of part-time employment on full time undergraduate students in property and construction courses in Australia

This paper examines the extent of part-time employment of undergraduate students enrolled in property and construction related courses in five universities across Australia. Forty five percent of the students responded to a questionnaire on their part-time work. Past research reveals that there is need for a more accurate understanding as to why students seek part-time work to the extent that they do and that working long hours has a negative effect on the study patterns of undergraduate students. Increased employer work demands results in less time available for study and an inability to attend lectures because of work. There is growing concern that students are increasingly disinterested in connecting with the broader and total university experience and are instead, seeking to adopt a minimalist approach to education.

Analysis of current research for Property and construction students’ results reveals that students are working on average 18 hours per week during semester time. The students therefore appear to be working beyond what is considered beneficial to their studies, although their contextual understanding and work ethic improves.

The paper concludes with some approaches that could re- engage students into the learning process. It may be helpful to develop a partnership between the University and the industry thereby providing work experience that complements the program of study. Otherwise students may not get the range of experience they need and may struggle to find the linkages between theory and practice.

Part-time employment trends for full-time undergraduate property and construction students : results of a two year sequential investigation

This paper reports on the initial findings of an investigation into the experiences and part-time work practices of undergraduates enrolled in the Bachelor of Property and Construction (BPC) and combined degree courses at the University of Melbourne. Initial data was collected from final year students during 2001 and for all four years of the course in 2002. The results suggest that students in earlier years of the course are more likely to work in non-industry (casual) related employment and work fewer hours. Students in later years of the BPC course are more likely to work in jobs in the construction industry and also to work longer hours than those in earlier years. An analysis of final year students shows that the students employed by contracting organisations work significantly more hours than students employed by other types of organisations including architectural practices. The consequences of part-time semester employment on academic performance and students' well-being are considered and proposals are put forward as to how to better manage the industry experience-University relationship.