Work in Progress

Low paid workers and VET: Increasing VET participation amongst lower paid workers over the life-cycle

• Summary
• Purpose
• Approach
• Research questions
• Methodology
• Organisations
• Program output

Summary

Purpose

This project will examine ways in which lower paid and lower educated individuals on the lower rungs of occupational ladders can be motivated to increase their participation in vocational education and training (VET) in the context of changing patterns of work, home and community life in Australia. It focuses on the characteristics, impacts and strategic responses concerning the VET (and consequently the labour market) participation of these groups. As such, the broad research question is:

How do changing work, home and community structures impact on the participation of lower educated and low paid groups in VET; and what responses are appropriate?

Approach

Qualitative and quantitative

Research questions

Characteristics
1. What are the VET and labour market characteristics of lower paid and lower educated groups, (including socio-demographic, educational and labour market characteristics)?

2. What does existing research on the VET and labour market characteristics of these groups indicate?

Impacts
3. How do the intersections between these characteristics and contemporary work, home and community structures affect the motivations and participation of lower paid and lower educated groups in VET and their transitions into, and through, employment and training over the life-course?

4. What attitudes and practices of employers impact (positively and negatively) on the motivations and capacity of lower paid and lower educated groups to participate in VET and the labour market over the life course?

Strategic Responses
5. What strategies do lower paid and lower educated groups employ to facilitate participation in VET and the labour market and what motivates these?

6. What does the Australian and international literature indicate about best practice in motivating and facilitating the participation of lower paid and lower educated groups in VET and the labour market over the life course and through life transitions?

7. What are appropriate responses to motivate and facilitate greater VET and labour market participation by lower paid and lower educated groups over the life course and through life transitions?

8. How can VET providers best motivate and support lower paid and lower educated groups to participate in VET over the life course and through life transitions?

Methodology

This is a three-year research program (2008 – 2010) involving a combination of approaches:

• A systematic evaluation of existing national and international research on characteristics, impacts and strategic responses concerning VET and labour market participation of lower paid and lower educated groups.
  
• Analysis of existing statistical databases including the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey and ABS training, education and literacy related data using the Adult Literacy and Lifeskills Survey (ALLS).
  
• A new purpose designed vocational education questionnaire subset to supplement the 2009 Australian Work and Life Index (AWALI).
  
• Qualitative collection and analysis of data via focus groups, interviews, strategic workshops and roundtable discussions from employers, vocational educators and lower paid and lower educated groups (including employees, VET participants and non-participants).
  
• The research program will focus on questions of vocational education, training and skills development in the context of intersections between contemporary work, home and community life. The analysis will employ a transitional labour markets framework, with particular application to disadvantaged and ‘at risk’ social groups such as low paid and casual workers, lower socio-economic groups, young people, and women.
  
• The project adds to the body of knowledge by illuminating how changing patterns of work-household-community interaction affect participation in VET (and consequently in work), especially amongst a large group of those traditionally disadvantaged in the labour market and vocational education.

Organisations

The Centre for Work + Life (CWL), University of South Australia, is a national research centre that investigates work and its intersection with households, community and social life in Australia. The Centre aims to make a national and international contribution to understanding work and life in the 21st Century. It is not a general research or social science centre. It focuses on long-term change, challenges, and policy responses, rather than short-term, instrumental or ‘knee-jerk’ research. It errs on the side of larger questions, rather than smaller ones. It is internationally comparative in approach and actively undertakes research training.

Program output

• Publication  Interview with Barbara Pocock about 'Low-paid workers, changing patterns of work and life, and participation in VET'
• Publication  Work-life issues and participation in education and training
• Publication  Juggling work, home and learning in low-paid occupations: a qualitative study

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