IMPROVING LIVES THROUGH JOB SKILLS:

A SURVEY OF PARTICIPANTS

Christian Grieves

June 1995

BROTHERHOODBROTHERHOOD OF ST LAURENCE

Social Policy and Research Paper No. 9508 67 Brunswick St Fitzroy Vic 3065 Tel: (03) 9419 7055 Fax: (03) 9417 2691

Improving lives through Jobskills: a survey of participants

Christian Grieves

Brotherhood of St Laurence

June 1995

ISBN 0 947081 90 9

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Z/njjrotHnF Liues tArotigA JobsAiMs

CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

SUMMARY

1 INTRODUCTIONThe Jobskills programThe Brotherhood Jobskills programThe evaluationThe survey of Jobskills participants

2 THE JOBSKILLS PARTICIPANTSOccupational categories Location of placements Months since finished Jobskills Age and gender Living arrangement EthnicityEducation and literacy A year in perspective Summary

3 CASE STUDIES OF JOBSKILLS PARTICIPANTSTrish: returning to work Susan: well qualified but no job Doug: where is the work?Carmen: a job at last!Tracey: building a career Summary of employment experiences

4 EXPERIENCING THE JOBSKILLS PROGRAMChoosing to do a Jobskills placement The benefits of Jobskills Difficulties with Jobskills Program components On-the-job training Off-the-job training Work experience and skills

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Working conditions TransportThe impact on families Post-program support Finishing the placement Conclusion and discussion

5 LABOUR MARKET SITUATION AFTER JOBSKILLSLabour market status Employment The pathway to work Long-term unemploymentFinancial position before, during and after JobskillsBarriers to the labour marketNetworks to access the labour marketThe role of Jobskills in providing employmentConclusion and discussion

6 CONCLUSIONIntroductionThe value of Jobskills in terms of labour market outcomes Additional benefits of Jobskills Components of the Jobskills programSelected policy issues for Jobskills and other labour market programs Conclusions

REFERENCES

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Our thanks go Rrstly to those people who participated in the Jobskills program through the Brotherhood of St Laurence and who shared their experiences of the program so willingly with us. We also wish to thank the people who assisted in planning and carrying out the evaluation and who provided valuable comments on drafts of the report. These include members of the Project Advisory Group and the Brotherhood of St Laurence Social Issues Group. We were most appreciative of the assistance provided by the Department of Employment, Education and Training in arranging the secondment of Pat Bourke to work on the project. Janet Taylor was responsible for completing the publication, editing the final draft of the report and completing the final chapter.

Those whom we wish to thank, include among others, Alison McClelland, Don Siemon, Jeremy McAuliffe, John Wise, Kate MacNeill, Stephen Grieves, John Wilson, Janine Shellay, Andrea White, Clive Brooks, Jo Hurley, Guenter Sahr, Helen MacDonald, Grant Mutch, Meg Montague, Ian Brain, Lindsey Nelson, Chris Henry, Val Hutchison and Guy Hassell.

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ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

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BrotherhoodCESCESACCSCDEETFEACNESBsscTAFE

Brotherhood of St Laurence Commonwealth Employment Service Commonwealth Employment Service Advisory Committee Country Service Centre (CES)Department of Employment, Education and Training Fitzroy Employment Action Centre (Brotherhood of St Laurence) Non-English speaking background Special Service Centre (CES)Tertiary and Further Education

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SUMMARY

The Jobskills program is a community-based labour market program funded by the Commonwealth Government and administered by the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET). The program commenced in 1991-92. The main objective of the program was to improve the employment prospects of people (aged 21 and over) who have been unemployed for 12 months or more by providing them with a combination of work experience and training.

The Brotherhood of St Laurence was contracted by DEET as a broker for the Jobskills program and this report is part of the Brotherhood's evaluation of the program implementation and outcomes. Between March 1992 and December 1993 the Brotherhood assisted 500 job seekers through Jobskills in clerical, child­care and outdoor placements in a variety of community agencies. Jobskills placements were 26 weeks in length and combined work experience with both on- the-job and off-the-job training.

Interviews were held with 116 of these Jobskills participants in June and July 1994, which for most was some six to 12 months after they completed their placement. Just over half the participants were Melbourne-based while the others had undertaken their placements through brokers based in Geelong, Ballarat and Mildura. Of those interviewed 60 per cent had undertaken a clerical placement, 27 per cent a child-care placement and 13 per cent an outdoor placement.

The participants identified a range of benefits they received from the Jobskills program. The most frequently mentioned being acquiring a certificate or formal training (57 per cent), self-esteem or personal development (44 per cent) and friendship or communication with others (29 per cent), showing that benefits included both those directly and less directly related to gaining employment. Smaller numbers named difficulties with the program, the most frequent being inappropriate off-the-job training (19 per cent). The level of the training wage was a problem for 29 per cent of participants, particularly those with children.

The report outlines the participants' experience of the program's components including the role of the broker, training, work experience, conditions of work and post-program support. MacDonald (1995) documents the process of program implementation from the point of view of brokers, employers and trainers, identifies where Jobskills can be enhanced in order to facilitate their future involvement, and identifies program improvements to improve participant job prospects. A further report (MacNeill 1995) analyses the evaluation findings in terms of implications for labour market policy and program developments in the Wbr&tngfVaiion. strategy (Commonwealth of Australia 1994).

At the time of their follow up interview the labour market status of participants could be summarised as:

* 56 per cent working (excluding those working less than six hours a week);

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improving Lines ihrough Jobs^iiis

* 36 per cent looking for work (including those in marginal work and studying who are looking for work); and

* 8 per cent other (including those studying and caring for children).

There were considerable differences between the three occupational categories using the above definition with 71 per cent of child-care participants working compared with 53 per cent of clerical and 40 per cent of outdoor participants.

However the benefits of the Jobskills program cannot all be defined in terms of current employment and the program had helped some people to further study and training. Considering those people whose position had been improved as they were in either some form of employment or study the results showed:

* 75percentinworkorstudy/training,* 21 per cent looking for work,* 4 per cent other.

The report explores the characteristics of those in work and also the nature of the employment they found in terms of hours worked and permanency.

The findings are reviewed under the following headings:

* the value of the Jobskills program in terms of labour market outcomes;* the additional benefits for participants of being involved in the Jobskills

program; and* selected policy issues for Jobskills and other labour market programs.

The report concludes that Jobskills provided a valuable experience for the majority of participants with important personal and social gains as well as acquisition of skills and employment. Various modifications are suggested. For those still seeking paid employment the issue remains the lack of jobs and the extent to which our society will accept the social and economic problems associated with long-term structural unemployment.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

JBetng anemp^oyed /or %too years is ioagA, especiaiiy mAen yoa're oniy FJ. i %osi aH sey-esieem, con./ide7?,ce and! HiosiJy A ope. JoAsAiHs Ae/ped m.e regain aii iAose iAi^gs a/td gain. sAiiis an.ci e^perie?tce 7'd neuer Aad 6e/bre. ITAiiAe training courses, JobsAiiis pats yoa in tAe real toorA /brce toAere people ciepenci on. yoa. lit macte me /eei ase/AJ again. (Leanne Brown as quoted in DEET 1993a, p .4)

This report presents the second stage of the evaluation of the Brotherhood of St Laurence Jobskills program, the first stage of which has been reported by MacDonald (1995). The report presents the findings of follow up interviews with people who had participated in the program in its first two years of implementation. This chapter outlines the Jobskills program and the evaluation.

Through the Jobskills program, the Brotherhood was contracted as an intermediary by the Federal Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) to organise paid wotk experience and structured training for eligible job seekers who have been unemployed long-term and assessed by the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES) as likely to remain unemployed without the benefit of participation in the program. Between March 1992 and December 1993, the Brotherhood assisted about 500 job seekers, either directly or by arrangement with other organisations, with the 26 weeks of a Jobskills placement.

The Jobskills program

The Jobskills program is a community-based labour market program funded by the Commonwealth Government and administered by DEET. The main objective of the program has been to improve the employment prospects of people who have been unemployed for 12 months or more by broadening their employment experience and by equipping them with new skills through appropriate work experience and training (DEET 1992). The Jobskills program commenced on 1 July, 1991.

DEET contracted appropriate organisations to act as intermediaries in the Jobskills program. These intermediaries were called Jobskills brokers and it was their role to provide work experience and training placements, either through their own organisation, or by sub-contracting with other organisations (DEET 1992). The Jobskills program involved CES Centres, Jobskills brokers, employers, training providers and unions.

Participants spent 26 weeks in the program where they were usually employed by community-based organisations or local government. The key components of the program were work experience, on-the-job training and off-the-job training. Approximately 75 per cent of the participants' time would be spent in a work

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experience placement. During the time the participants were in work experience they would spend 15 per cent of their time in identified on-the-job training. The balance of the placement, about 25 per cent, was to be given to off-the- job training. Overall therefore placements would involve 60 per cent of the time in work experience and 40 per cent in training. Where possible this training was to be accredited.

JobsM%%s bro&ers

In the first years of the program Jobskills brokers were contracted by DEET at two levels:

Level 1: a minimum of 20 participants; andLevel 2: a minimum of 250 participants.

Jobskills brokers included a variety of organisations. These could include local government authorities, group training schemes, SkillShare sponsor organisations, private companies, large community/environmental organisations and Commonwealth or State Government bodies.

To take part in the Jobskills program an eligible person required a referral from a DEET Special Service Centre (SSC) or a Country Service Centre (CSC) to a Jobskills broker. It was these Centres' responsibility to assess and establish eligibility and then refer the person on to a Jobskills broker, with a clear indication of what type of employment the person sought and the skills and work experience enhancements the person required to gain access to this occupation. Eligibility was based on improving the employment prospects of those on government welfare benefits. In particular, to be eligible a person needed to be:

* aged 21 years or more and not due to reach the age at which an age pension might be payable to the person under the Social Security Act during the training; and

* in one of the following three categories:

in receipt of a Newstart Allowance; or

registered as having been unemployed for 12 months or more and in receipt of a social security benefit for 12 months or more; or

the spouse of a person who fulfils the above criteria and who has been registered as unemployed for one months or more; or

* assessed by the SSC/CSC as likely to remain unemployed without the benefit of participation in Jobskills (DEET 1992 p.10).

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DEET instructed their Centres to give priority to clients who were either unskilled or semi-skilled, but stated that it was possible for any eligible person to be considered for a placement if suitable work experience and training could be arranged by a Jobskills broker, and thus those with qualifications and skills were not excluded.

income suppor%

Participants received a training wage of $280 gross per week for 26 weeks ($300 per week from October 1993), and then annual leave accumulated over the 26- week period. This was paid by their employer, with funds provided by DEET through a Jobskills broker. Employers were to pay participants in line with the normal pay arrangements of all their employees. Conditions of employment, including the gross training wage, were explained in writing to participants before they commenced a Jobskills placement.

CES officers were to advise their clients to check with the Department of Social Security (DSS) regarding their eligibility for allowances before they committed themselves to a Jobskills placement. Jobskills brokers were also to ensure that participants had been advised to check with DSS regarding eligibility far financial assistance.

As well as providing funds to pay the participants' training wage, DEET provided funds to brokers to assist with the costs involved in placing the participants. The funds met costs which included administrative costs to the broker and contributions towards employer-related costs such as materials, equipment, supervision, workers' compensation, leave loading, superannuation, payroll tax, and training costs (CESAC 1994).

Jobs&ids occupations and training

An overview of the Jobskills program (Sharman 1993, p.l) showed that for both 1991-92 and 1992-93 the majority of participants were employed in clerical occupations (42 per cent) or outdoor work (37 per cent) and that most participants were employed in local government (54 per cent) and community sectors (38 per cent).

The overview also showed that in 1991-92 and 1992-93 a significant proportion of the training was provided using a combination of training providers. The largest single provider was TAFE (31 per cent), followed by SkillShare (20 per cent), with the remaining being provided through a number of smaller private providers. In 1992-93 a large proportion of the training (33 per cent) was accredited, a further 13 per cent of training programs had credit transfer, with 36 per cent of participants receiving certificates (Sharman 1993).

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CES officers were instructed that the Job skills program was an option when developing Newstart action plans. It was suggested that to maximise the benefit to DEET clients, it would be acceptable to use Jobskills for a client who had previously undertaken a pre-vocational course with a SkillShare or vocationally- orientated training through Jobtrain. This acknowledged the importance of Jobskills as a link into unsubsidised employment.

Upon completing a Jobskills placement, participants retained their eligibility to access other forms of DEET assistance. Jobskills participants who did not access unsubsidised employment would retain eligibility for support such as a Job Club or the Jobstart employment subsidy. Again, this supported the notion that while Jobskills would be one step into unsubsidised employment for some participants, other steps would be required for some participants.

La&ottr ?n.ar&e% programs in.

Table 1.1 (see over page) indicates the place of Jobskills among other labour market programs in Australia and its growth from its commencement. By mid- 1994 30,000 people had been participants in Jobskills. In 1992-93 the Commonwealth Government spent $144 million on the Jobskills program (DEET 1993b).

The Brotherhood's Jobskills program

In March 1992 the Brotherhood became a Level 2 broker for the Jobskills program. The Brotherhood Level 2 broker undertook an initial contract with DEET for 350 places. A subsequent contract for 150 places was undertaken by the Level 2 broker in March 1993. Due to the timing of the evaluation, this report refers to a sample of participants in the first and second contracts which totalled 500 participant places. The Brotherhood Level 2 broker arranged places with Level 1 brokers. Some of the Level 1 brokers were also employed by Brotherhood and some by other community organisations, including SkillShare. The Brotherhood Level 1 brokers were based in Fitzroy, Frankston, Ballarat and Geelong, while other Level 1 brokers ranged from metropolitan Melbourne to Mildura.

The majority of the 500 Jobskills participants in both the first and second Brotherhood program were involved in a clerical placement (78 per cent) with much smaller numbers involved in an outdoor placement (10 per cent) or a child­care placement (12 per cent).

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In the 1992-93 intake, Level 1 brokers provided training and work experience in tour models. Those program models can be characterised in terms of the relationship between the Level 1 broker and the other program participants:

1. broker is the trainer and the legal employer, but the participant is seconded to a host agency to undertake work experience (e.g. Brotherhood Central Highlands Region);

2. broker is also the trainer and the employer for the participants (e.g. Centre for Education & Research in Environmental Strategies);

3. broker contracts out most training and work experience (e.g. Brotherhood Barwon Region); and

4. broker is the trainer for all participants and employer for some of those participants (e.g. Knox/Sherbrooke SkillShare, Sunshine SkillShare) (MacDonald 1995).

Table 1.1 Labour market programs in AustraliaZa&oar mar&e% programs Commencements

1991-92 1992-93 1993-94

Jobskills 1,986 17,389 10,711Jobstart 59,031 150,559 147,042Employment Incentive Scheme - 1,070 -

Job Clubs 25,031 28,175 42,995Job Search Training Courses 11,119 5,948 -

Special Intervention Program 9,197 37,095 47,068Contracted Placements 569 6,139 -

Mobility assistance 5,196 9,561 -

Jobtrain 91,446 84,636 73,669Disability Reform Package (DRP)a 70 1,504 -

Landcare and Environment Action Program - 5,530 * 10,061Accredited Training for Youth - 13,819 12,170Training for Aboriginals Program (TAP) 5,403 5,481 8,297Office of Labour Market Adjustment (OLMA) 6,994 13,072 ° 8,676SkillShare programs 111,073 120,400 140,641New Enterprise Incentive Scheme 2,800 3,350 4,868Other programs - - 16,726Total 329,915 503,728 * 522,924 'Source: Table 3, Labour mar^ei program comme/tcemeu s, by program

(DEET 1993c, p.4; DEET 1994, p.4)No^es:R Work experience and post-piacement support provided under DRP.b Excludes 1948 participants not eligible for Formal Training Allowance.c Includes 1300 clients funded for non-labour market adjustment package OLMA programs.d The commencements total is higher than that reported in the July edition and Budget-related material because it

includes TAP and also contains data entered progressively after 30 June, s Other programs include - Contracted Placement, Post Program Support, Mobility Assistance, Migrant Professionals,

Post Placements and Training for People with Disabilities, Work Experience for People with Disabilities, Interpreter Services, Program Support and Youth Careers Information and Advisory Program.

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The evaluation

The evaluation of the Brotherhood Jobskills program has been undertaken to inform the organisation about its future directions in the development and delivery of labour market programs for disadvantaged job seekers, and also to develop an understanding to inform proposals in relation to national policies on labour market programs.

There have been two stages to the evaluation of the Brotherhood Job skills program. The first stage documents the process of program implementation from the point of view of brokers, employers and trainers; identifies where it can be enhanced to facilitate their future involvement; and identifies program improvements to enhance participant job prospects (MacDonald 1995). An additional report (MacNeill 1995) examines the findings from the evaluation in terms of implications for labour market policies and programs in the Wor&fn.g Naiton strategy (Commonwealth of Australia 1994).

This second stage of the Brotherhood Jobskills program evaluation has surveyed Jobskills participants. This report discusses the Jobskills program from the participants' perspective, and their situations after Jobskills.

The overall aim of this evaluation is to assess the outcomes for participants with particular emphasis on considering whether this training and work experience program has been effective in enhancing their employment prospects. The evaluation objectives include:

* to assess the value of the Jobskills program in terms of labour market outcomes for participants;

* to assess the additional benefits for participants of being involved in the Jobskills program; and

* to identify some of the factors that affected outcomes for the Jobskills program.

The survey of Jobskills participants

Interviews were conducted with 116 former Jobskills participants. Most of the interviews were conducted over the months of June and July 1994. At the time they were interviewed, the majority of participants had finished their Jobskills placement between six and 12 months ago.

A total of 187 participants from the 1991-92 and 1992-93 intakes were selected for the sample and received an invitation to take part in the evaluation survey (the sample population). Of this 187,118 participants returned forms agreeing to take part (the sample). Ten of those agreeing to be interviewed did not finish their Jobskills placement. They were included in the interviews. Of the 118 who agreed to be interviewed, 116 could be contacted, and 114 of these people were interviewed in person (the two other people gave information over the telephone

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about their employment status). The 116 people interviewed represent 23 per cent of the 500 participants and 62 per cent of the sample population.

The participants selected for this sample were all from the 1992-93 intake with the exception of child-care participants from the 1991-92 intake, who were included so that this occupational group could be surveyed. There were no child­care placements in the 1992-93 intake. The inclusion of child-care participants ensured a more representative sample of occupational placements from the overall total of 500 participant places contracted to the Brotherhood by DEET over the two intakes. Because of the large numbers of urban-based clerical participants, those who were placed through the Fitzroy Employment Action Centre (FEAC) brokers in the 1992-93 intake were excluded from the sample population.

Before the sample group of 116 participants were interviewed a pilot o f the survey was conducted with 10 people who were not included in the original sample. The pilot interviews were conducted in Melbourne, Ballarat and Geelong, with participants from the 1991-92 undertake.

A structured interview schedule was developed for the face-to-face interviews. Each interview took about one hour to complete. All those participants who were interviewed were paid a fee of $20. The majority of interviews took place in the participant's home, while some took place at the participant's place of employment, and a small number at other venues. Where participants gave permission, the interviews were taped.

The survey documented basic demographic details, discussed the experience of the Jobskills placement in detail, and investigated the participant's position in relation to the labour market. An important tool developed for the survey was a pathway map which documented the participants' labour market position from January 1991 to the month of the interview. This provided a three and a half year map of labour-market the history of these people. In contrast to the simple 'snap shot' of other evaluations of employment programs, the map builds a picture of how people who were long-term unemployed progressed until they accessed Jobskills and then, after this, whether they gained access to the labour market, other labour market programs or continued to remain excluded from employment.

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CHAPTER 2: THE JOBSKILLS PARTICIPANTS

This chapter describes the characteristics of the 116 Jobskills participants who were interviewed for this study. It includes information on their placements and on their age, gender, living arrangements, education and ethnic background.Also outlined is their labour market position during 1991, the year before the Brotherhood Jobskills program began.

Occupational categories

Those people who were interviewed had undertaken one of three different types of Jobskills placements: clerical, outdoor, and child-care. Seventy (60 per cent) had done a clerical Jobskills placement, 15 (13 per cent) had done an outdoor Jobskills placement, and 31 (27 per cent) a child-care Jobskills placement.

Location of placements

Over half (58 per cent) of participants did their placement through a broker located within the Melbourne metropolitan region (Table 2.1). The other 42 per *cent of participants did their placements through brokers located in the rural cities of Mildura, Ballarat and Geelong. The child-care Jobskills placements were ^all undertaken within metropolitan Melbourne.

Table 2.1 Location of participants' brokersLOCA2YON

CZerica%PLACEMENTOutdoor Chdd-care Tb%cd

% % % %Melbourne 37 67 100 58Other Victoria 63 33 0 42Total 100 100 100 100Number (70) CJ3) r<M) (TM?)

Brokers tried to locate participants close to their home, although this was often not possible. Nevertheless most participants undertook their placement within the region of their brokers' coverage.

Months since finished Jobskills

The majority of participants were interviewed between 6 and 12 months after they completed their Jobskills placement (Table 2.2). Most clerical and outdoor Jobskills participants had finished their placements between 7 and 9 months. The child-care Jobskills participants had all gone through an earlier intake and

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had therefore mostly finished their placement between 11 and 12 months earlier.Some of the longer times since completion also reflect the small number of people

* who withdrew from their placement.

T/n%?rouing Ziues through JobshiHs*

Table 2.2 Months since participants finished their placementMONTHS PLACEMENT

CJertccd Outdoor Chdd-care% % % %

5 3 16 6 37 34 13 228 18 47 179 25 33 3 2010 6 10 611 3 7 52 1712 3 32 1113 1 114 1 3 1

Total 100 100 100 100Nu/nber r u ; fi.z4)** An additional two people were contacted by telephone to ascertain whether they were working.

Age and gender

The guidelines for the Jobskills program stipulated that participants should be aged 21 years or older. The largest proportion (42 per cent) of those in this study were aged 21 to 25 years, while only 11 per cent were aged 46 years or older (Table 2.3). Age varied little across the different Jobskills occupational categories.

Table 2.3 Age of participantsAGE PLACEMENT

CJertctd Outdoor CLdd-care Tbtcd% % % %

25 years or less 44 34 42 4226—35 years 26 40 29 2936—45 years 15 13 26 1846 years or more 15 13 3 11Total 100 100 100 100Nu/n&er CM) CM) (31J

The majority (79 per cent) of the participants were female (Table 2.4). Eighty- three per cent of those who had undertaken clerical placement were female, as were 97 per cent of those in a child-care placement. In contrast only 27 per cent

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of those interviewed who had done an outdoor placement were female. In actual numbers, 12 men did a clerical placement, 11 an outdoor placement, and only one man a child-care placement.

Table 2.4 Gender o f participantsGENDER PLACEMENT

CJericaZ Outdoor CLdd-care% % % %

Male 17 73 3 21Female 83 27 97 79Total 100 100 100 100Number (70J (15) (37) (716)

The women in the survey were, in general, slightly younger than the men. While one-third of the men were aged between 21 and 25 years, 44 per cent of womenwere in this age group (Table 2.5).

Table 2.5 Gender by age according to occupational categoryGENDER BY AGE

FEMALESC/ericcd

%

PLACEMENTOutdoor

%CLdd-care

%Tsdd%

25 years or less 48 25 40 4426—35 years 21 75 30 2736—45 years 13 0 27 1746 years or more 18 0 3 12Total 100 100 100 100Number (5<?) (0 (30) (36)MALES25 years or less 25 36 100 3326—35 years 50 28 0 3836—45 years 25 18 0 2146 years or more 0 18 0 8Total 100 100 100 100Number (73) (77) (7) (34)

Living arrangement

Table 2.6 outlines the housing arrangements of the participants. Sixteen per cent of people were living with their partner and their children, and in some cases other people, while 12 per cent were sole parents (all female). Reflecting the large number of young people in the program, 32 per cent of people lived with their parents or other older family members. Of these all but two were women.

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Table 2.6 Participants' household structureNOCSEEOLD PLACEMENT

C/erica/ Outdoor CLdd-care Tota%% % % %

Single 22 60 23 27Single with children) 14 0 13 12Partner 18 13 3 13Partner with children) 10 20 26 16Parents and/or family 36 7 35 32Total 100 100 100 100Number P5) (*U4)

Men were more likely to be single (living alone) than women, and this is reflected in the number of single people who did an outdoor placement (see Table 2.7).

Table 2.7 Household situation by gender according to ageS7T&ATR3N ACE

27-25 years 25-25 years 35-45 years 45-50 years Tbta%% % % % %

FEMALESingle 18 25 13 46 22Single parent 2 12 27 54 16Partner 15 17 7 0 12Partner and children 2 17 40 0 12Parents or family 63 29 13 0 38Total 100 100 100 100 100Number w (20 P5) PJJ wMALESingle 50 56 40 0 46Single parent 0 0 0 0 0Partner 13 11 20 50 17Partner and children 12 33 40 50 29Parents or family 25 0 0 0 8Total 100 100 100 100 100Number (9) (3) (24J

As shown in Table 2.8, 35 per cent of people were paying all or part of the rental for private accommodation. Only 8 per cent of people were living in public rental accommodation. Twelve per cent owned their own home (of whom all but one were women).

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Table 2.8 Participants' housing arrangementsROUSE COSTS

C%ertca%%

PLACEMENT Outdoor CLtM-care

% %Toted

%Living with friends rent free 2 0 0 1Living with family rent free 8 6 26 12Living with family paying board 28 6 13 21Sharing or paying private rent 33 54 32 35Sharing public rental 3 7 0 2Paying all public rental 6 7 3 6Buying 11 7 13 11Own outright 9 13 13 12TotalNumber

100r<M)

100 100 100C iO

In terms of housing costs, 25 per cent of people were not paying board, rent or mortgage. Nearly half (46 per cent) of all people were paying between $1 and $70 per week, 28 per cent were paying between $71 and $140 per week, and two people were in accommodation costing more than $140 per week.

Sixteen per cent of people had been living in their current accommodation for less *than six months, 30 per cent for less than one year and 28 per cent for between one and three years. Ten per cent of people interviewed had been living in their accommodation all their life.

Ethnicity

Some 80 per cent of people interviewed were born in Australia (Table 2.9). Ten of the people born overseas had lived in Australia for less than eight years and 15 spoke another language at home. Only two people said that their ability to speak English caused them problems. One of these people said she could understand what people said in English but her problem was in speaking English. The other person's main difficulty was being able to spell when taking a message over the telephone.

Table 2.9 Country of birth by location of brokerCOUNTRY OFBE?TR BROKER LOCATION

Melbourne Rurcd Victoria Toted% % %

Australia 72 90 80United Kingdom 9 4 7Europe 9 2 6Africa/Middle East 3 0 1India/Asia/Pacific 7 4 6Total 100 100 100Number f67)

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Education and literacy

-S e c o n d a ry e d u c a ^ o n .

Only one person had attended primary school only. Thirteen per cent had completed less than Year 10, half had completed either Year 10 or Year 11, while 37 per cent of those interviewed had completed Year 12. The relative proportions of men and women completing various levels of secondary education were similar.

Trade or ^er^ary edacadonThree per cent of participants held a trade qualification, while 20 per cent had tertiary qualifications: 11 per cent of participants held a diploma or degree from an Australian institution, 6 per cent of participants had a tertiary qualification from a country where English was not the main language and 3 per cent had Australian post-graduate qualifications.

L ^ e r a c y

Seven per cent of people interviewed said they had difficulty in reading or writing. Four of those eight people said this difficulty caused them problems. These problems related to spelling, pronunciation and grammar. Two of the four people's difficulties were because English was not their first language. As one person said, T have problems understanding Australian slang people use, so I have to guess'. Another person with a learning difficulty explained, T have trouble following written directions at work and I forget what I have read'.

A year in perspective

The year 1991 represents a period of time which can illustrate some of the labour market histories of the people who were interviewed. Some became eligible to undertake Jobskills in this year, while for others, who were still working or studying, the 12 months or more of unemployment was yet to come. It was possible for those in the 1992-93 intake to have been employed for all of 1991 and still be eligible for Jobskills in the 1992-93 intake (if they were unemployed 12 months in 1992). Table 2.10 shows how many were working or unemployed and for how much of the year.

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Improving Lives through Jo&shiiis^

Table 2.10 Labour market experience during 1991AfONTWS EXPERIENCE

Wor&ing Job searching Labour mar&e% OiLer^programs"

% % % %None 40 29 61 741—3 months 8 7 9 84—6 months 7 17 11 47—9 months 12 7 4 010—12 months 33 40 15 14Total 100 100 100 100Number fiM )Notes: Includes studying and training.

b Includes caring for children.

Labour mar^e programs, s^uJy auJ framingIn 1991, 39 per cent of participants spent some time in some form of study, training or labour market program. This suggests that participants rely on labour market programs as stepping stones in their establishing a skill and work experience base that offers permanent access to the primary labour market.

W or&

In 1991, 60 per cent of participants had some paid employment during the year. More than half of the participants spent at least half their year without any work. Some of these people were outside the labour market, either in full-time study, caring for children or in some other activity.

Job searchingSeventy-one per cent of participants were looking for work in at least one of the months of 1991, while 40 per cent were searching for a job for most of the year.

Oiher aciithiiesDuring 1991 some participants were caring for pre-school children or other people, or undertaking a variety of other activities including voluntary work, with 14 per cent of participants involved in some such activity for most of the year.

Undertaking Job skills had a different meaning for people with different experiences during 1991. For those who spent the year studying or in training and then were unemployed during 1992, Jobskills may have been their first chance to experience work and prove they would make a valuable employee. For those people who spent most of the year in work, and then were unemployed for most of 1992, Jobskills may have been an opportunity to retrain after retrenchment. For those participants who spent most (or all) of 1991 and perhaps most of 1992 unemployed, Jobskills was a chance to re-establish their working skills and identity as a worker, and more particularly to bolster their s61f-esteem. For those who had been out of the labour market for many years and unemployed

21

'Jntproumg Liues

during 1991 and most of 1992 until they started their Jobskills placement, here was a link back into the culture of work.

Summary

The Jobskills participants who were interviewed for this study had undertaken three different occupational categories of Jobskills placements, clerical, child-care or outdoor. Just over half of participants did their placement through a Melbourne-based broker, the other participants did their placements through brokers based in Geelong, Ballarat and Mildura. The large majority of participants were women. Female participants dominated the child-care and clerical placements, and male participants made up the majority of the outdoor participants.

To be eligible for Jobskills all had been unemployed for at least 12 months, however participants were very diverse in terms of other characteristics. They included people with literacy difficulties and those with tertiary qualifications. They ranged from young women living at home with their parents to parents bringing up their own children. They also differed greatly in their experience of both employment and unemployment.

An analysis of the participants' activities in 1991, the year before the Jobskills program commenced, and two years before many participants commenced Jobskills, showed that 33 per cent spent most of that year in some form of work, 40 per cent of participants spent most of 1991 looking for a job and 15 per cent were involved in labour market programs or full-time study for most of the year.

3

22

Jynproutng Liues i/troMg/t

CHAPTER 3: CASE STUDIES OF JOBSKILLS PARTICIPANTS

The following five case studies are presented to illustrate some of the situations of Job skills participants. Two people in the case studies undertook clerical placements, two child-care placements and one did an outdoor placement.

Each of the case examples draw out some of the major themes relating to the benefits and problems participants had during Jobskills and the period preceding the interview. Pseudonyms are used for each case study. To ensure confidentiality there are a number of minor changes to the details of the case studies.

Trish: returning to work

Trish is a sole parent in her late 30s who did a clerical Jobskills placement and was employed at the time of the interview. She shares her life with her four children. She is paying off a mortgage which costs her $100 per week. She has lived in her house for more than five years.

In terms of education, Trish completed Year 11 at secondary school and has *completed a Certificate course. Her separation from her partner meant she decided to return to the work force. Before her Jobskills placement she had been ,out of work for four years except for casual employment. She had undertaken 'Modern Office Skills', and short courses on different Business Services computer software.

J o b s& tH s p la c em en ,?

Her Jobskills placement was a success for Trish. Being back at a workplace interacting with people again was an experience she valued. She saw her placement as re-establishing the work routine. Trish found it difficult to get back into the routine of work, especially as this necessitated her, as she pointed out,'juggling work, housework and the kids'. Overall though she felt her placement had a positive effect on her family. She explained that it 'made me easier to live with, as it got me out of the house and gave me another interest'.

Her comments about her Jobskills employer were all positive, 'they were helpful and understanding, and they kept me on at the end'. In the early part of her placement, she was, she said, 'treated like a office junior until they knew I could do the work and then I was treated fine'. However, she was dissatisfied with the level of responsibility that she was given during her placement.

As far as Trish was concerned, her work experience assisted her skill development because it built on her previous work skills. She explained that she had used a computer previously 'but now I can use a lot of [software] packages'.She could not remember doing a participant plan. Trish was fairly positive about

23

Znprouutg Zipes f/trongA Jo&s&MJs

her off-the-job training. She saw it as relevant as it matched what she was doing at work and gave her skills in bookkeeping.

As she did not have any problems during her placement Trish did not need the services of her broker, 'I could always go to them if I had problems'. She felt comfortable with the broker and had a good relationship with them. Trish felt a little uncomfortable about the age difference between herself and other participants. She would have preferred if there had been older participants doing the off-the-job training.

With four children to support Trish was not satisfied with the income level of her Jobskills placement.

In her own view, Trish would still be unemployed if she had not done the Jobskills placement. She believed that her age, and 'having been out of work for four years' would have remained impenetrable barriers to her access to the labour market.

A % e r Jo6s&tZ%s

After she finished her placement her Jobskills employer offered her part-time work. Trish found this arrangement very suitable and was not interested in looking for another job. Trish commented 'I didn't realise how hard it was to get work until I started Jobskills; especially for young people'.

At present she relies on a combination of her wage, a Sole Parent Pension, Basic Family Payment and Additional Family Payment for her and her family's income. In the last two weeks before her interview, her hot water service, washing machine and television all needed repairing. Trish described her current financial situation as poor. In her view, she had just enough money to get by.

In Trish's experience the CES have not been helpful for her when she has been looking for work. She sees the CES as having a fairly passive role. As she explained, 'you go and register, but they don't match you with jobs, it's just up to you to look on the board'.

While Trish is not looking for another job, she is interested in seeking full-time employment with her present employer.

Susan: well qualified but no job

Susan is a sole parent in her early 20's who undertook a clerical Jobskills placement but was not employed at the time of the interview. She and her son share a house with other adults to keep the housing costs down. As a result she

24

f/nprouing Ltues through Jo&sAtHs

only needs to pay $40 a week for the house which they rent privately, and which she has lived in for less than two years. She lives in a non-metropolitan area.

Before a change in her personal situation, she had lived in another part of Australia and had been working in a full-time job as a clerical officer for over a year. The previous position she had held indicates that she was highly skilled. Susan completed Year 12 at secondary school. She had been unemployed for 14 months before her Job skills placement

Jo& s& iH s p ^ ace/ n en t

All her comments about her Jobskills employer were positive. She explained, 'they were very helpful, a very good working atmosphere because they made you feel welcome and I fitted in'. With reference to her on-the-job training she made the point that, 'it was very limited because I'd already been trained. And questions, they were answered and responded to when I asked anything of my employer'.

She could not remember doing a participant plan. She felt that her placement helped equip her with new skills which built on her previous skills because it allowed her to use new computer programs and do work in other clerical areas. She said her work experience developed her skills in dealing with people and handling money. It also partly assisted in upgrading her spreadsheet, database and word processing skills. She also explained that she was teaching other staff at her work place to use their computer's capacity better.

The off-the-job training Susan did was related to the skills she used at work. The problem was she was already a highly skilled and experienced worker and therefore found her off-the-job training unsuitable. She was frustrated by this fact and said that it 'wasn't a good use of my time so I ended up training my class mates'. However she did use a new spreadsheet package.

Apart from the off-the-job training frustration, Susan did not have any real difficulties during her Jobskills placement. When asked about the help she got from her broker, she explained that she did not need any help.

As public transport was inadequate, getting to work was a problem for her. Her finances did not allow her to buy a car, and she had to rely on other people to ensure she could get to and from work.

Her Jobskills placement had little effect on her family life. As Susan explained, 'My son grew up with me working. So although I'd been unemployed he got used to me on Jobskills'.

A / te r

After she finished her Jobskills placement her employer applied and kept her on under Jobstart. She had full-time employment with her employer for six months.

25

fmprouing Ltues tftrottg^ JobshiHs

She was retrenched from her Jobstart position when her employer could no longer fund the position.

Susan had been looking for permanent work since she moved to the area. Even when she was doing Job skills and Jobstart she continued to look for work, as she felt both labour market programs to be only assisting her to find permanent employment in a full-time clerical position.

She did not feel her placement affected her attitude towards getting a job, in her own words, 'I still want a job and will take anything; until I can find a permanent position'.

She is currently looking for work, and has worked one half day during the month in which she was interviewed. Susan wants work involving the use of computers and clerical tasks. At present she relies on a Sole Parent Pension, but she says that she currently has enough income to get by.

In the last four weeks, Susan had contacted employers about jobs, looked in the newspaper, answered a newspaper job advertisement, checked the Job Centre (CES) noticeboards, been registered with the CES and other employment agencies, and had contacted friends about getting a job. As the CES have not contacted Susan in over a year, she does not have a positive attitude towards them. In her words, 'the only time I heard from them was for my Newstart Agreement'.

T h e / u tu re

Her local labour market severely restricts her capacity to access work. All she would like to be doing in 12 months times is, 'working in a permanent job that I enjoy.' Susan states she has had trouble finding a job because there are not enough jobs available.

Doug: where is the work?

Doug undertook an outdoor placement and was unemployed at the time of the interview. Doug is married with one young child and another on the way. He and his wife have had to move in with his parents because their financial situation is desperate. While he is living with them, he does not have to pay any money for accommodation. Doug completed Year 10 at secondary school. Doug had been unemployed for two years before his Jobskills placement, except for one month's casual work. Before that he had worked full-time.

p%<3cemen.%

Without doubt Doug enjoyed his placement. His comments about his employer were positive as he said, 'they were pretty good, they treated everyone as equal'. What annoyed him was the on-the-job training he received occurred near the end of his placement, which meant he did not get a chance to develop and practice

26

improving Lives through Jo6shtiis

those skills. Unfortunately, the skills he learnt are relatively unnecessary for the majority of employers likely to consider employing him.

In his view his participant plan was helpful because it explained what he would be doing and the on-the-job and the off-the-job training he would receive. This included a First Aid Certificate. Doug said that he really enjoyed doing the off- the-job training.

As part of his work experience he was at times in charge of a few other workers and this made him feel valuable and trusted. Doug was dissatisfied with the safety precautions that were taken at his work to prevent injury. He did have a few problems during his placement, and said that it was good knowing that 'if I needed to discuss problems I could go and talk to [the broker]'.

His Jobskills placement had if anything improved his relationship with his partner. As he explained, 'when I was at work I only saw Sandy in the morning and at night so we didn't fight as much'. The outdoor placement had made Doug feel healthier, because of the manual work he was involved in undertaking.

A/ier JobshiZ/s

After he finished his placement, Doug gained work in a Jobstart position. His employer sacked Doug without reason after he had been in this job for a couple of months. Since then he has been looking for work.

Doug's financial situation is grim. He describes his present financial situation as poor, and says he does not have the money to pay the bills when they come in. Without his relatives' support he and his family would have no home to live in.

During the last four weeks, Doug had contacted employers about jobs, looked in the newspaper, answered a newspaper job advertisement, checked the Job Centre (CES) noticeboards, been registered with the CES, and had contacted Mends about getting a job. Even though he has been unemployed for long periods of time, he had a positive attitude towards the CES. In his words, 'I've applied for jobs through the CES since I finished Jobskills and they have been helpful and nice'.

T h e /h%Mre

Doug is likely to have problems getting a job, there is no work in the area where he lives in rural Victoria and his outdoor Jobskills placement has had little impact on improving his chances of getting jobs in other occupations. Doug's hopes for the future involve working, 'I want to be working and be able to support my family properly'.

*

$

27

fntproutMg Ltues Jo6sA:iHs

Carmen: a job at last!

Carmen did a child-care Jobskills placement and was working at the time of her interview. Carmen is married with two children attending secondary school. They live in public rental accommodation and are paying over $120 per week for their rent. They have lived in this accommodation for over five years.

She and her husband moved to Australia over five years ago. They were both born in Europe and their first language is not English. They continue to speak their first language at home. When they first arrived in Australia they had trouble communicating with people in English.

In their country of birth both Carmen and her husband were professionally qualified. These qualifications are not recognised in Australia. Carmen's husband has now finished the lengthy process of upgrading his qualifications to gain accreditation which allows him to practice in that profession. The time and resources required to complete this accreditation process prevented both Carmen and her husband from both doing it, so her husband is now practising but Carmen has decided not to follow this professional accreditation path.

Carmen describes her present financial position as good 'because we are both working'. It was only recently that her husband had started working, so as she said, they have just enough money to get by on at present.

Carmen studied full-time in 1991 and then was looking for work during the 12 months before she commenced her Jobskills placement. During that time she had a casual cleaning job and did a four months office skills course.

She believed her older age, her lack of work experience in Australia, her ethnic background and the fact that there are not enough jobs available have all contributed to her finding it difficult to access the labour market.

Jobs&i%/s p/acem en.%

For Carmen, her child-care Jobskills placement was the 'last chance' to get into the labour market in Australia. Her placement has provided her with a 'feeling that my future is here in Australia'.

While on a regular visit to the CES, Carmen saw the advertisement for Jobskills placements. She thought that after sending so many letters applying for work that this would be her chance to get a job. Her placement gave her the confidence that she had started to lose because she had 'been unemployed so long and trying to get a job'. She felt that 'all my resources for finding a job were finished'. The unemployment process had taken its toll and she said that without Jobskills she would still be unemployed. It was her opportunity to gain 'knowledge about how the system works in Australia'.

-A

28

Lnprouing Ltues iA.roMg/t Jo&sAiHs

In her view JobskiRs was a job even while others thought of her placement as a labour market program. Carmen felt that her placement had a positive affect on her family life, and she said 'it brought us to life again, everyone was happy mum's got a job'.

Carmen thought her participant plan was helpful because it gave her the impression that it was a contract between all the parties involved in her placement. She said that her on-the-job training was positive, as she was working with qualified people who were very supportive. As a highly qualified and intelligent person, Carmen felt she used her existing knowledge to develop work place and industry specific skills and competencies.

'Exceptional from the start' is how Carmen described her employer. In her view, her off-the-job training was good, however she felt the expectations of TAFE were too high, 'we had a lot of homework and assignments, we needed an introduction to what we would be doing and I needed to know about children and Australian culture'.

Carmen did have a few problems with clarifying her conditions of employment at the start of her placement. The broker helped solve these problems. She felt the broker provided her and other participants with all the help they needed. Part of this support came from regular contact she had with her broker.

Transport to work was a real problem for Carmen. She had to take three different forms of public transport to get to work. As she stated, this problem with public transport meant 'I was forced to buy a car'.

A /^er Jo&s&fJJs

Carmen now works full-time. She went straight from JobskiRs into fuR-time employment with her JobskRls employer.

/ t^ u re

Carmen was very positive about her own and her famRy's future. AR she wanted was to be healthy and to keep her job. WhRe she was exceptionaRy grateful to have pubhc rental accommodation, she wanted to move out of the public rental accommodation as soon as they could afford to move.

Tracey: building a career

Tracey also did a child-care JobskiRs placement and was working when interviewed. She is single and Rves with her parents and her sister. She is happy to live with her parents paying $25 per week for board. She completed Year 12 at secondary school.

*

29

ihrprouing Hues through JohshiHs

Tracey had been looking for work for the two years before her Jobskills placement. She had part-time unskilled work during that time and had done a

" six-month labour market program. In her view her lack of tertiary education, herlack of work experience, and the fact that there are not enough jobs available had all contributed to her finding it difficult to access the labour market.

J o b s& tH s p Z a c e m e n i

Tracey found out about the child-care Jobskills program through the CES. As she explained, 'the CES rang me, they knew the area of work I wanted. I said yes to them straight away'. She decided to do her placement because of the combination of 'going to college and getting something [work] out of it'. It was the arrangement by which she could relate her training to her work experience that impressed Tracey. Practising what she learnt in her off-the-job training was the best thing for Tracey about her Jobskills placement.

Her employer was 'really easy to work with', according to Tracey. Tracey said her on-the-job training was good as they had taught her a great deal and they had treated her 'as an equal'. She was pleased that her employer had used her existing specialist skills and had given her credit for doing a good job.

* The off-the-job training 'was good' and she 'enjoyed it'. She felt the off-the-jobtraining needed to be about a year. In her view, sometimes the TAFE work was 'rushed'.

In her experience the broker had been useful and helpful. As Tracey explained, the broker 'came out and checked out how we were going. She explained to the employers what to expect from us, and [regularly] checked everything was running smoothly'.

Transport was a problem for Tracey. The TAFE college was too far away from where she lived and she found the travelling time was overwhelming. She had to rely on at least two forms of public transport to get to work or TAFE.

Her placement had no affect on Tracey's family life. Without commitments to dependants and/or a partner, she just 'went about my own thing'. Tracey felt her attitude towards getting a job had changed as a result of doing her placement, as she explained, T now have more confidence'.

A/%er JobsM /Zs

Immediately after she finished her placement Tracey was kept on as a reliever with her Jobskills employer. Over the next four months she worked for three child-care centres as a reliever for an average of 15 hours a week. According to Tracey her current labour market situation is exactly what she wants. She works part-time and she is studying part-time for an Associate Diploma of Social Science (Child-care) which will establish her as a qualified child-care worker when she finishes the study.

30

Improving Ztues trou g h Jo&sAtHs

Tracey says that if she had not done a child-care Jobskills placement she may have gone into another occupation. She is uncertain about whether or not she would still be unemployed if she had not done Jobskills. She attributes her present job directly to her child-care placement; 'I had the Child-care Assistant Certificate'.

/b iM re

Tracey wants to keep working. Further into the future she would like to travel overseas.

Summary of employment experiences

An overview of the employment experiences of the five Jobskills participants since completing their placement is provided in Table 3.1. While all were in employment three months after completion of their placement, by the time of the interview two were again unemployed. The importance of the role of the employer is emphasised by the two who were still employed by their Jobskills employer.

Table 3.1 Employment situation and outcomesMONTHS S7NCE COMPLETED PLACEMENT

<? ?n.on.%A.s # A% in ^eru ieu ; C o m m e n t

Trish Permanentpart-time

Permanentpart-time

Permanent part-time (8 months)

Gained immediate work with Jobskills employer

Susan Full-timeJobstart

Full-time Unemployed (7 months)

Went onto Jobstart with Jobskills employer

Doug Full-TimeJobstart

Unemployed Unemployed (7 months)

Little prospects of employment

Carmen Permanentfull-time

Permanentfull-time

Permanent full-time (11 months)

Gained immediate work with Jobskills employer

Tracey Casual work (average 17 hours a week)

Permanentpart-time

Permanent part-time (11 months)

Gained immediate casual work with Jobskills employer, now with different employer and studying part-time

31

JfwtproumF Liues J!o6s&iZZs

The diversity of experience of these participants since completing Jobskills illustrates the complexity of producing outcome measures for labour market programs that rely simply on a 'snap shot' for example, three months after completion.

3*

32

Improving Ltues through JobsAtHs

CHAPTER 4: EXPERIENCING THE JOBSKILLS PROGRAM

This chapter explores the experiences of people while in a placement in the Jobskills program and examines their experiences of the various program components, contrasting the situations of participants in the different occupations. It considers why people did a Jobskills placement, the benefits they received from their participation in the Jobskills program, and the difficulties they may have had as participants. It also discusses whether people acquired new skills, the working conditions associated with placements, transport issues, and the effects on family life.

Choosing to do a Jobskills placement

All participants interviewed were asked why they undertook a Jobskills placement. The majority (78 per cent) expressed a clear and positive attitude towards their decision while some expressed mixed feelings. Most people decided to do their Jobskills placement in order to improve their position in the labour market. Table 4.1 illustrates the reasons people gave for doing a placement. These reasons were given without any specific prompting or encouragement to consider particular parts of their placement experience.

Table 4.1 Reason for doing JobskillsREASON PLACEMENT

C/ericcd Outdoor OdM-care% % % %

Developing further skills or 51 47 68 55retrainingHelp chances of getting a job 43 27 16 34Fed up with unemployment 30 20 19 26Suggested to me 27 7 26 24Contact with the CES 9 27 32 18Wanted to get into this held of 5 20 42 17workContinuation of previous work 10 20 16 13Other 18 40 7 18Number (57) 05) ____PJ) CU3)Note that more than one response could be given.

The most common reasons given were to develop further skills or to retrain (55 per cent), to help chances of getting a job (34 per cent), being fed up with being unemployed (26 per cent), it was suggested to them (24 per cent), contact with the CES (18 per cent) and to get access to a particular field of work (17 per cent) (Table 4.1).

33

-fTnproumg Ltues Jb&sA:fZJs

The issues raised by participants are discussed briefly below and many issues are covered in more detail in later sections which address specific program components.

DeueJoping /nrfher s&ids or retraining

More than half (55 per cent) said the reason for doing a Job skills placement was related to their need to gain additional skills, to improve their existing skills and to retrain to develop skills which would be attractive to their potential employers. The following comments illustrate participants' views:

I thought well I've got to re-train. I hadn't worked in the outside work force for 20 years, and [I thought] I've got to update my skills.

I was unemployed and it gave me the chance to study and work.

I really wanted to work with children and needed further qualifications.

Because I knew it'd be six months training on-the-job and I'd get experience I haven't got.

Helping chance o/geMing a yo6

One in three people mentioned that they did Jobskills to get a job. The work experience was an important component of this. A young woman in rural Victoria who had not worked for at least 28 months before her placement said, T felt that I did not have working experience and I felt Jobskills would give me this'.

Fled up uh%h unemployment

One in every four people mentioned that they were Ted up' being unemployed. One person commented, 'I was out of work and needed to get out of the rut, it worked it got me going'. As Susan stated, 'it was better than sitting at home'. A 22 year old woman said, 'I'd rather do anything than be unemployed'.

Wanted to get a position in this /ieid o/ tcorh

Some 17 per cent mentioned wanting to access a labour market program which focused on a held of interest (child-care, clerical or outdoor work). Forty-two per cent of participants who did child-care placements made this comment. This was summed up by the following woman's comments:

I couldn't get a job in primary teaching which I qualified for I really want to work with children, so I thought that I'd try a [Jobskills child-care placement]. I had skills working with children of primary age, I wanted to get the skills for the lower age group. So that's the reason why I did the Jobskills.

34

Zntprouing Ztues

This interest in a held applied to outdoor and clerical placements as well as child­care placements although to a lesser extent. As one woman explained about her placement, 'it was to do with horticulture and I was very interested in becoming a gardener'. In the case of one woman who wanted to do a course, a clerical Jobskills placement eventuated, as she explained T put down to do a bookkeeping course and they [a broker] rang and suggested doing [a clerical placement]'.

Access %o Jo&sM%%s because o / %be CE<S

The CES played a pivotal role in the Jobskills program and 18 per cent of participants attributed their undertaking a placement to contact with the CES. This contact took a variety of forms. People had either been rung by the CES, talked to or been interviewed by a CES officer or had checked the CES boards. For some people their reason for doing a placement was expressed quite simply, as illustrated by a middle aged women living in rural Victoria who said, T went to the CES and they sent me for an interview with the [broker]'.

In only a few cases was this CES process negative. One woman explained, T didn't have much choice, CES sent me to [the broker] as part of Newstart'. In most cases however, the CES were seen as a positive player in the process. One young woman said, T put my name down far a school and then I got a phone call from the CES and they asked me to go down and visit [the broker]'.

The CES appear to have played a very positive and active role in a small number of cases. This is illustrated by middle aged women who found the CES very helpful,

It happened accidentally. I was going to the CES to have a look for a job. [After Job Club] I was keeping going down to the employment bureau and I read on the board about this [Jobskills] course and actually Wendy, she saw me reading this advertisement and said, 'oh would you like to apply for this course'. And I was surprised, I said, oh can I really, because it's so different with my occupation.

'-Suggested %o .Me'

As is shown in Table 4.1, 24 per cent of people said the program had been suggested to them by people other than the CES. This suggestion came from a range of sources including brokers and employers. As Susan explained in her interview, she was referred by the CES to a broker for an inappropriate typing course, but luckily the broker suggested she consider doing a clerical Jobskills placement. Doug had been talking to a staff member who worked for a broker when it was suggested that he do an outdoor Jobskills placement. One man explained about his eventual employer, T started off as a volunteer, then they said I could maybe get a Jobskills placement with them'.

Sources of information about the Jobskills program are discussed in more detail later (Table 4.5).

35

iirnproutng Ltues through JohsA:Z/s

CLan.ge m /om^y^s st^ua oTt

Some women said their reason for doing Jobskills was related to a change in their family's situation. As one woman explained, 'my family circumstances had changed dramatically and I needed some qualifications to be able to survive and support my family'. In another case, a woman said that her husband had been unemployed for such a long time that she felt compelled by her family's situation to register with the CES. The CES then suggested a Jobskills placement when they assessed her as interested in working in child-care.

Overall, the majority of participants were concerned with the benefits a Jobskills placement would have on their potential for accessing employment. The reasons for doing Jobskills mainly revolved around gaining skills or getting access to a particular occupational held. However some people had reasons related to improving their own self-image and feelings of self-esteem.

The benefits of Jobskills

Participants were asked to identily the main benefits they had received from their Jobskills placement. Their responses were sought without specific

3 prompting about particular parts of their placement experience that might havebenefited them. The most common benefits participants identified were

. certificates or formal training and self-esteem or personal development (Table4.2).

Table 4.2 Benefits of doing JobskillsBENEFIT PLACEMENT

C/ericcd Outdoor CMM-care% % % %

A certificate or formal training 61 53 48 57Self-esteem or personal development 52 27 36 44Friendship or communicating with others

31 33 23 29

Practical work experience and work training

15 27 48 26

Exposure to the culture of work 21 0 16 17Led to a job 9 0 23 12Minimal or no benefit 2 27 3 5Australian work experience 3 0 10 4Other 3 7 0 3Number t3i.)Note that more than one response could be given.

t-

4

36

fmproutng Ltues JobsAfHs

A cer^/tca^e or /orma^ Gaining

Fifty-seven per cent of participants said they benefited from the certificate or training incorporated into the Job skills placement. There was only a small difference between the different occupational placements on this comment. The greater percentage of clerical participants who valued the formal training can.be attributed to the importance training plays in enhancing computer skills which are highly regarded by employers of clerical workers.

The skills they developed that were associated with working in a modern office were well regarded by the clerical participants. One participant explained, '[I was] picking up skills that I didn't have ... I mean I'd done bookkeeping a little bit but we sort of went into it more. And went into doing it on the computer'.

The training associated with the child-care placements was a rewarding challenge for many participants. One woman noted, 'in six months we were doing the course, we had a lot of assignments and homework to do. So that was a challenge that I was given and I met'.

Attending the off-the-job training had additional informal benefits, as explained by one person, 'it opened up a new world for me. I mixed with other students and ... it just gave me a sense of achieving something'. In this sense participants could see themselves as a member of a group, achieving the same training outcomes as their peers, and this enhanced their self-esteem.

For some the off-the-job training was where they felt their skills most developed. In one woman's words, 'I've learnt something different, how to sort of deal with the children, how to teach them. You know that's what I gained. I can't say I gained any knowledge from this [work] placement. I gained knowledge from the teachers from school'.

<Se//-es%eem or personal deue opnten^

It is acknowledged that Jobskills has been 'very effective in raising the self­esteem and confidence of participants' (CESAC 1994, p.vi). Almost half of the participants (44 per cent) supported this, reporting that their own feelings of value and worth received an important boost from their participation in the Jobskills program.

Approximately half of those undertaking a clerical Jobskills placement, a third on child-care placements and a quarter of those undertaking the outdoor placement mentioned this as an important benefit (Table 4.2). For some it was a feeling that had been missing for many years. As one person said, '[it was the] first job since I had been 17 [years old]. I was proud of myself. One young woman stated:

I'd been on and off part-time working very casually [for] up to 2 years [being really] unemployed. [I had been] going back to school and doing short courses. But it was 'what am I doing wrong I've got the education why can't

37

Zwtproutng Liues through JohshiHs

I find work?' So yeah it gave me the boost, the confidence that I needed. [I'd] been unemployed for so long [but after Jobskills I knew] I can still go out

" there and find work.

Another participant commented:

It gave me somewhere to be. A responsibility for six months. It did wonders for the morale and enthusiasm. Got my motivation back.

Others commented about their increased confidence:

I don't have any trouble walking into a room with a lot of people. I just walked in there now. I'm not shy or anything, I'm more outspoken. I'm not as nervy. I got to learn about their fax machine and telling the service man to come in and fix it. And showed other people how to use the fax machine. And even the staff that have been there longer than me I was showing them how to use it. I got confidence. Meeting people and getting to talk to people there.

Jobskills placements had major implications for women who had been out of the labour market for some time. As one woman explained, her confidence had really

* changed as a result of her doing her placement:

I got a lot more confidence because I realised that being a housewife, isn't just a housewife, you can still draw on that experience but my main thing was that over the last 10 years I'd gone into myself, away from people, and I realised coming back into the work force I'd got a more mature outlook on things. I found that I was negotiating and dealing with the public. I was able to relate to them better than I thought because of bringing up the children and relating to teachers. And when I hear women say, 'oh I'm just a housewife', I think no because I said that, and it's wrong.

Friendship or cofn.fnnnicaiing' Loiih oihers

Twenty-nine per cent of participants mentioned the important benefit of friendship. This may be a general benefit of labour market programs which all entail a component of interacting with others. Many participants identified that being 'stuck in unemployment' restricted their ability to interact with others. One person explained, 'I made Mends, it's not easy to make Mends, and by having friends life has more meaning to it'. For another participating in Jobskills meant, 'more confidence. I can communicate to people better now than what I could before'.

.Practiced worh experience and draining

One in four participants mentioned the benefit of the linking of work experience ' and formal training to create a more practical skills development experience.

Many child-care participants valued this link, as explained by Tracey, 'being able

38

t UHMU

improving Ltues (Aroug/t Jo&s^iMs

to relate to what you were learning, so I can relate the work and the training, and practice what you learn'.

In the clerical placements it was sometimes the link between knowledge and dealing with equipment that was regarded as a benefit. In the off-the-job training there was a tendency to focus on computer knowledge and developing other clerical skills, but the work place provided the opportunity to gain 'the knowledge of all the equipment and the confidence, knowing that I can do it [use the equipment]'.

Eaposnre cM tzre o/

Seventeen per cent of participants mentioned the benefit of being exposed to the culture of work. No one who did an outdoor placement mentioned this benefit.

A clerical Jobskills participant discussed what it was like to get real work experience for the first time:

It was my first experience of what it was like to work in a full-time capacity and I was worried about it because I'd never worked before. I'd done a lot of work experience through school, but it's not the same when you're actually working. You know like you'll always feel a little bit worried when you start a new job, but I've been there, done that, so that was the best thing about it.

For those who had lost the routine associated with working, because of the demoralising effects of long-term unemployment, Jobskills offered new hope. As someone who had been unemployed since early in 1992 explained 'it offered being able to actually get up and go into work and do something rather than just sit around and do nothing and not have work'.

While some people already felt they had the skills, the opportunity to use them in a work place was important. The placement gave them a feeling that, T did learn some things there but I mean I had the skills to start off with, it was just that I felt like I was doing something with them'.

Some participants found a sense of direction in their life, 'now I know what I want to do with my life'.

EmpZoymen,;

Twelve per cent of participants said that one of the main benefits of Jobskills was that it eventually led to a job; 'the main benefit was I got a job afterwards'. The link between doing Jobskills and getting work was clear to these participants. Failure to mention this may indicate that participants did not view their participation in Jobskills as directly linked to getting work after Jobskills.

For 23 per cent of participants who did a Jobskills child-care placement it was the job at the end that was the main benefit. The work was not necessarily full­time or permanent work as one woman explained, T got a lot of contacts for

39

improving Lives through Jo6s&M%s

casual baby sitting through the people [parents] I met at the Centre. I got into the [child-care relief work] agency through the placement'.

Only nine per cent of participants who did a clerical Jobskills placement referred to getting a job as a benefit. None of the outdoor participants attribute their placement with them getting work, an indicator of the problems in this occupational category.

Minimal or no bene/ii

Overall only five per cent of participants reported minimal or no benefit from Jobskills, yet one in four of participants who did an outdoor Jobskills placement felt this way. As one outdoor participant said, 'I didn't get much experience or knowledge, we didn't really learn much'.

AnsiraJtan toor& experience

For a few people it was their first experience of being in an Australian work place as a worker. This meant for Carmen the 'feeling like my future is here in Australia, and a general knowledge about how the system [labour market] works in Australia'.

Oi/ter

Participants mentioned a number of other benefits, for example, 'I gained confidence [that I could use] when I was going for interviews', and 'learnt how to properly present myself and basically be prepared to sort of hit the work force again'.

Another person felt it was a chance to 'move away from associating with unemployed people'.

For one single parent her Jobskills placement meant an improvement in her 'financial situation'.

Difficulties with Jobskills

Participants were asked to identify the main difficulties they found in undertaking their Jobskills placement. These responses were given by participants without specific prompting and 30 per cent reported no main difficulties (Table 4.3). The most commonly reported problems were inappropriate off-the-job training (19 per cent) and disharmony with other workers (11 per cent).

40

improving Lives through Jobshiiis

Table 4.3 Difficulties associated with doing JobskillsDLEEfCCL7YEE PLACEMENT

CYertcaZ Oufdoor CMM-care Tb%a%% % % %

Insignificant or none 36 0 29 30Inappropriate off-the-job training

18 47 6 19

Disharmony with other workers

8 20 13 11

Too much variation in 14 7 0 9participants Work or study time 3 0 16 6constraintsLack of supervision or 3 27 0 5guidanceThe tasks within the work 2 13 7 5Too much early responsibility 3 0 13 5Low income 3 13 3 5Returning to study 0 0 13 4Ageism or personal 2 0 10 4Other 24 33 10 21Number (67) ____ ________ (31)Note that more than one response could be given.

Ln.sigH.t/ican.% or no

Almost a third of participants stated that their difficulties were insignificant or that they did not have any. As one person said in response to the question of the difficulties she faced, 'in the first week I had a knot in my stomach because I was scared stiff, but the people were very nice and very supportive and that's why I think the program is very good'.

There was little difference in this between child-care and clerical participants, but all those doing an outdoor placement mentioned at least one difficulty during their placement.

inappropriate o/jf-the-job training

Table 4.3 shows that 19 per cent of participants, including almost half of those who did an outdoor Jobskills placement, mentioned the inappropriateness of the off-the-job training they were required to undertake during their placements. While this issue is covered in more detail later in this chapter, an example may indicate why participants found a number of problems with their off-the-job training:

There was about close to 30 of us I think. They got more than they ever anticipated. There were supposed to be people sent out to other places that

41

Zntprouwtg Ltues i^rough. Jo6s^tMs

couldn't take them. And I felt that like, especially being my age, treated like just a child. Treated like a child in the classroom.

DfsAarmony o^Aer toorAers

Eleven per cent of participants mentioned the disharmony between themselves and other workers as a difficulty. For some participants this was just a clash of personalities, this may have been related to the problem of people returning to work after a long period of unemployment. It is also possible that it was unrelated to being a Jobskills participant, as these problems often occur in the work place. One person who did a clerical Jobskills placement said, T didn't like two of the people that were there but I had to put up with them. They just rubbed me the wrong way. But as I got to know them, as I got to be there a lot longer, I got used to them'.

Broker involvement to remedy conflict and to offer support was important to ensure participants finished their placement. As one participant found:

I mean basically there was one person that I just couldn't get along with at all. Every fortnight [the broker] used to come in. She just used to have to look at me and she'd go, I'll talk to you after class. She just knew I was so upset. I just wanted to finish it [the placement]. She [the broker] just said, look persevere. And I did.

Twenty per cent of those who did an outdoor Jobskills placement mentioned the difficulties they had with the disharmony between themselves and other workers. As one person who did an outdoor placement explained, 'the administration] people there were the hardest to get on with, they weren't supportive, they didn't want to know us'.

Too mncA oarfa^on fn participants

Nine per cent of participants mentioned that there was too much variation in the competency levels of participants, which directly affected the off-the-job training. This had a more direct impact on those undertaking a clerical Jobskills placement, as Susan explained this was because 'the standard of training was set at a basic level'. This meant that the trainer couldn't spend quality time with each person. This caused hardship for those with minimal skills and those with more advanced skills. This is discussed in more detail later in this chapter in relation to off-the-job training.

WorA or firne con.s%rafn.%s

Six per cent reported difficulties associated with the combination of demands made on them by the work and the off-the-job training. Most of these were in child-care placements. This is discussed in more detail later in this chapter.

42

improving Lives iitrougA JobsAiiis

Superuision or guidance problems

While only 5 per cent of participants said they had difficulties because they lacked appropriate supervision, 27 per cent of those who did an outdoor Jobskills placement mentioned this was a difficulty for them. As one man who withdrew from his outdoor placement explained, 'my supervisor made me do things the hard way so I wasn't getting any satisfaction out of it'.

A woman who did a clerical placement commented:

There wasn't that much support there for me. I wasn't really supervised. They really weren't there much. We always had contact every single day. And she'd ring me but I basically was in there all those hours most of the time on my own. I didn't mind it but there were times when maybe I'd need a bit of help ... and she was always there to give me that, I have to say that. But when she wasn't there and I sort of felt like, 'oh what am I gonna do?'.

%as&s tuor&

The difficulty for participants of establishing the boundaries of their work was noted by 5 per cent, mainly by outdoor participants. This issue was summed up by the following explanation, 'there was no job description for the work we were to do. With no follow up from management, so the work we were given was mickey mouse work'.

Tbo mucb. ear%y

Some 5 per cent of participants, mainly on these child-care placements, had difficulties with the expectations placed on them by those at their work place, 'at the start staff expectations were too high but then it .was OK after the [broker] went in and talked to them'.

Lotu mcome

Some participants (5 per cent) reported difficulties with the low income of the training wage. One participant said, 'oh the only [difficulty I had] and you couldn't really change it, was the salary. But you couldn't really change it because it's really a participantship so that's the whole idea. One man who had a wife and three children said, '[the main difficulty was the] shortage of cash, as I had to lose money to take the job [placement]'.

Renaming fo s%ut%y

Five per cent of participants, all in child-care placements, said they had difficulties with undertaking formal training, '[it was] only studying [that was difficult]. But that was because I had to get myself into a routine and once I did that I was fine'. This issue is discussed in more detail later in this chapter in discussion of training.

43

T/nprouing Lives iArovgA Jo6sA:iMs

O^Aer c^/^cM^tes

Participants identified a number of other difhculties with their Jobskills placement. These ranged from travel to lack of respect, 'I was classed as a Participant [and it] made you feel like you weren't a real worker'.

Lack of communication between their broker and their employer, or their employer and their trainer, was a difficulty for a very small number of participants, as one participant said, 'there was not enough communication between employer and broker when problems arose'.

Too many participants in the work place was a problem for some clerical and outdoor participants. One participant explained 'they had over 10 people I think and it was like sometimes there was not enough work for some people to do because, there was just so many of us'.

The inflexibility of the program was a difficulty for some, especially women, who mentioned the problem of fitting their placement into their existing family commitments. It caused problems in terms of meeting the time requirement of a full-time work load which meant as Trish said, 'juggling work, housework and the kids'. There were a number of problems with the inflexibility of off-the-job training. One woman noted, T was working around my son's schooling. Unfortunately he started school when I started my course and the timing was bad'.

A number of participants had trouble adapting to the expectations placed upon them, especially when their feelings of low self-esteem were strong. For a few participants the placement was a challenge to their intellectual capacity. One commented, T had to memorise a lot of the work'.

For some of the childless participants undertaking a child-care Jobskills placement, the thought of dealing with the unfamiliar was a difficulty. As one young woman explained:

Knowing what to do with the children, especially with the babies. When I was like in the toddler rooms I had a lot of difficulty knowing how to speak to them. Mainly because, you know, language is really important for the younger child, and you know, I just had a lot of trouble communicating with them.

Program components

The following sections examine the participants' experiences of the various components of Jobskills from the stage of being referred to the broker through to the post-program support they received.

44

KB

improving Lives tit rough Johshiiis

Pe/erra^s io Jo6s^tHs

Referrals to the Jobskills program were dominated by the CES who had made 36 per cent of participants aware that the program existed and told them how to gain access to the program. As already discussed, many people mentioned they had undertaken their placement because the CES had provided them with the opportunity by making the information available to them either through advice or written information promoting the program in the CES Job Centre.

Table 4.4 Finding out about JobskillsLVFOPMA7YON SOCRCE PLACEMENT

C/erica% Ou^oor CLtM-care% % % %

CES 15 54 75 36Broker 9 7 0 6Skillshare/Job Club 42 13 0 27Friend 19 6 13 16Other 15 20 12 15Total 100 100 100 100Number ____(M L . (^ ) (-?-?) CM )

One in four people said they found out about Jobskills through a Skillshare or a Job Club. These organisations provide many clerical formal training programs, which explains why 42 per cent of clerical Jobskills participants found out about Jobskills from this source. Trish's situation demonstrates the value of participants undertaking labour market programs within community organisations that offer a variety of programs. She had completed three short training courses with the broker organisation. This Skillshare then rang her about doing a Jobskills placement.

Informal networks also played a minor role in providing information about Jobskills. Fifteen per cent of those interviewed said they found out from a friend about the program's existence.

Par^ctpan.% pLzn.s

Two out of three people remembered doing a participant plan at the commencement of their placement. Given that most people had finished their placement at least six months before, it was perhaps not surprising that some people could not remember doing a plan. More than one in three people felt that the participant plans helped them in some way: 'it showed us where we were going but was not specific'.

Three people said their plan did not match what they actually did in their job. One person was upset that the plan had to be rushed because of the speed at which brokers had been required by DEET to recruit and place people in the program. One young woman explained that doing her plan was unhelpful

45

Tmjorot'mg Lives through JobshtHs

because 'it confused me at the time'. One man doing a outdoor placement said, 'there was just a form I filled in before I started'.

WorA p%ace size an.t% number o/participants

Most of the JobskiUs placements were in small community agencies. Table 4.6 shows that one out of every three participants was in an organisation with less than six staff members. The participants in very large organisations were in schools or tertiary institutions.

Table 4.5 Number of staff at Jobskills employer organisationsNUMBER OF STAFF PLACEMENT

CJerica% Ou^oor CbiM-care Tbta%% % % %

1 —5 36 36 31 356 —10 24 50 41 3211—50 34 7 28 2951 —600 6 7 0 4Total 100 100 100 100Number (W) CM) OJ0)

Fifty-three per cent of participants were the only person undertaking a Jobskills placement in their work place. However 13 per cent of participants were employed in an organisation where there were more than 10 Jobskills participants. Only 27 per cent of participants said they would have benefited from another participant being in the same work place. Others said the organisation could not have coped, or would not have had enough work for more than one participant. One woman explained, 'there was not enough work for more'. Another, 'there wouldn't have been any room for them'.

Sometimes the participants felt they did need the social support of another participant. One woman who did a child-care placement explained it would have helped her, 'because if you have other participants they can compare the training or discuss something. Or you can ask each other. [Get] some support or maybe more confidence'. However, as one middle-aged man doing a placement in rural- Victoria stated, 'I didn't need that kind of support. I liked being the only one there'.

Support /rom broker

Table 4.6 shows that three out of every four people found their broker to be supportive. The following quote sums up the feelings of many participants,

I got lots of help from [the broker] because she used to come in every week to discuss like what were our problems or how we are feeling at the centre. She used to come in every fortnight to ask us at the college you know. And she used to just pick up on things like if you're having any problems she used to

46

improving Hues through JobshiHs

follow through things, so just go around like what actually it is and she used to help us out a lot. She was good. She was very supportive in fact because she made things clear to us so it was helpful.

Table 4.6 Role of the brokerCOMMENT PLACEMENT

C%erfca% Outdoor CMM-care% % % %

Helpful and Supportive 79 46 93 79Little need for a broker 15 0 17 14Didn't know there was a 6 39 7 10brokerOther 6 15 14 9Number ____ ____ ______ _____(29) (TMJ____More than one response could be given.

Participants felt problems were dealt with in a positive and constructive manner. One woman who had done a child-care placement explained, 'when we had problems with the college she helped us, but I never needed to call her'. Some participants did have problems, and the brokers took an active role in solving these problems, as one woman stated:

I think I've taken on too much. I don't think I'll be able to do it. And I received nothing but encouragement from her [broker] which sort of gave me the confidence to go on and believe that I could really do it.

Other problems were also addressed by brokers, in what could be called a support worker role, as one young woman recollected, 'if we had problems with the CES or our Health Care Cards she just jumped in, and she was willing to move people who were unhappy'. The regular contact established by some brokers was a great support to participants. Carmen explained in her interview that 'at the beginning we needed to know about our pay and other things, she supported us very well, and she came out once a week or once a fortnight to support us'.

Tracey made the additional point that while the participants may have had difficulty approaching their employer, the broker 'explained to the employers what to expect from us'. Where a problem was perhaps beyond the scope of the Job skills program, some brokers successfully referred the participant elsewhere as the following participant explained, 'I had problems getting on with people, the broker sent me to an agency that helped me in that way, 'they really cared'.

For some people doing an outdoor placement their employer was their broker and this did not necessarily work well for them. Many did not know they had a broker and they did not have this mechanism for solving problems they might have had with their employer.

47

l/nproumgr Ltues f/trougA

' Overall where broker, trainer and employer were separate, participants weremore likely to have had a satisfactory experience. The brokerage model of

* employer and broker being the same organisation was most likely to createdifficulties for participants.

7%e e/npJoyer s support

As Table 4.7 shows 71 per cent said that their employer was good, helpful or kind. Tracey^s experience represents the majority of participants' experience, as she said, 'they were really easy to work with, they taught me a lot of things, and they gave me credit for what I did'. Susan had a similar experience, she explains 'they were helpful, it was a very good working atmosphere, they made you feel welcome and fitted in'.

Table 4.7 Comments about Jobskills employerCOMMENT Tb&x/

%

Good, helpful or kind 71Unsatisfactory supervision 13or management Treated as cheap labour 4Too many participants 6Other 21Nhwber 010)

More than one response could be given.

Some 13 per cent of participants made a comment about their employer providing unsatisfactory management or supervision. The dominance of a major problem with one outdoor Jobskills employer has directly influenced this area of the survey: participants' comments ranged from being treated as 'slave labour', and there was 'no preparation, communication or responsibilities', through to 'we were stuck in a big shed'. This employer was clearly atypical in the Brotherhood Jobskills program.

A minority of participants found themselves frustrated by the lack of work and the restricted capacity to develop work place skills and knowledge. One woman recollected:

I suppose she [supervisor] tried to sort of help as much as she could, but basically there were four of us sent there, and there really wasn't enough work for us to do. Probably they only needed one person there. She tried her best to give us things to do but she was busy herself. She was sort of lumped with four people and didn't know what to do with us basically.

Participants worked in organisations which sometimes had problems of their own. As one person doing a clerical placement explained, while their employer was good and gave all the support required, 'there was a lot going on at the time,

48

improving Ltues tbrougb JobsbiHs

a lot of friction going on within the staff at work so at times there was a lot of 'tension'. Another person outlined her powerlessness in an unsatisfactory situation: *

He [supervisor] was only funded for 15 hours a week but he wasn't in there 15 hours a week and he used to keep it from [the employing agency]. You're not supposed to take on a Jobskills participant unless you're there. That wasn't the case with me. I never told him anything because I'd never worked before, and at one stage I was thinking of leaving. I couldn't confront him because, I just thought if I leave now this is the only real work I've had, and I'm good at it. If I say anything to him, then the only work I've ever had, the only reference I can get, is going to be a bad one.

Overall a small proportion of people had problems or bad experiences with their employer. Most participants had a positive and empowering work experience based on the commitment of their employer. Participants valued the commitment shown by their employers, and where employers were poorly organised participants were either upset by their lost opportunity or condemning of a system which allows this to occur.

On-the-job-training ^

One of the problems with assessing the comments made by participants about on- the-job training is the vagueness of the term. It was evident from their answers *that some participants did not know what their on-the-job training was, and certainly some thought of it as their work experience.

Almost three out of every four participants (73 per cent) said they thought their on-the-job training had been helpful (Table 4.8). Twenty per cent of participants commented they had learnt a diversity of skills during their work place experience. Of people who were working when interviewed 81 per cent thought their on-the-job training was helpful, but only 63 per cent of those looking for work felt their on-the-job training was helpful.

49

-Tmproumg L:ues t&rougb

Table 4.8 On-the-job trainingCOMMENT PLACEMENT

C%erfca% Outdoor CMM-care% % % %

Helpful 76 47 81 73Learned diversified skills 24 7 16 20Needed wider experience 5 27 0 6Little or no training 12 27 13 14Told to go and do it myself 0 7 7 3Other 29 33 23 28Number 05) ____More than one response could be given.

The following brief quotes provide examples of the overall positive response participants had towards their on-the-job training:

Oh they were very helpful. They tried to give me as much work as possible to give me the experience, so yeah.

They were helpful, I found it very easy.

Tracey summed up many of participants' on-the-job training experience when she said, it was 'really good, they taught me a lot and they treated me as an equal'.

Participants had a variety of problems with getting the most out of their on-the- job training. One young woman who did a clerical placement explained that while she was shown how to do tasks, her supervisor got 'annoyed because I didn't immediately pick it up'. Another young woman in a clerical placement indicated that her supervisor did not understand that her home problems were having an effect on her ability to learn, 'I'm not as fast a learner as everyone else, and I had other problems, apart from the job'.

Some employers obviously had trouble working out what to expect from their Jobskills participant. As one woman explained, her training was 'very slow' at the beginning with her being given tasks associated with cleaning, however she felt she eventually 'learnt a lot'. The expectations of individual workers could have a huge impact on the on-the-job training, as one woman explained:

The mother-craft nurse I was working with, more or less wanted a lackey rather than to teach a student. She saw an assistant as someone who does all the dirty work. I missed out on a lot with her because, I'd being doing domestic things where I should have been with the children. But [the broker] sorted that out for me.

50

fmproutng Ltues t/troMgb Jo&sAiHs

The skills and experience of the participants sometimes meant they were poorly matched with the organisation's ability to provide appropriate on-the-job training. Where participants had a long work history relevant to their occupational Jobskills placement, they found their organisation's capacity to provide on-the-job training to enhance their competencies was limited. Susan explained in her interview that her on-the-job training was, 'very limited because I was already trained' and at work she had been doing on-the-job training for other staff where she was,' teaching them to better use their computer's capacity'.

Off-the-job training

Only half of participants mentioned that their off-the-job training was helpful or relevant (Table 4.9). More than one in four participants said their off-the-job training was irrelevant or missed their needs.

Table 4.9 Off-the-job trainingCOMMENT PLACEMENT

C ertcai! Outdoor CLiM-care Tbfa%% % % %

Helpful or relevant 43 33 74 50Would have liked more 9 13 3 8Needed more computer experience 13 - 8Irrelevant as missed my needs 37 27 10 28Poor teaching techniques - 33 6 6Other 37 27 23 32Namber f67) 05)More than one response could be given.

C%ericaJ JobsLi^s participants

Only 43 per cent of clerical participants said that their off-the-job training was helpful or relevant (Table 4.9). The lack of focus on building and enhancing competencies for individuals was summed up in Susan's comments about her off- the-job training, 'it was set at the level of the lowest one in the class. It was not suitable for me'. Another person explained in more detail the problems associated with meeting the learning requirements of people at different levels of understanding:

I was happy with it, but to lump 30 people, not all at once, because there wasn't like enough computers; so we broke it down into different days. But [they needed] to get the people that needed the training more, that didn't know anything, together and to keep the people that were more advanced together. That way you're at more or less the same level. You don't have to keep stoppin' and startin'.

*

51

Zyn%?routHg Liues tArotigA Jo6sAiMs

Conversely, training needed to take into account those who had trouble coping with the level of basic training for the majority, and those people for whom

* English was not their first language. Someone with a non-English speaking background said, 'what I didn't like was all the computer courses we had in bookkeeping, it was too quick. Like everything was in the one day and we did so much and the next day I couldn't remember'.

Other people needed to practice the skills they learned in the off-the-job training in the work place before they felt confident to develop further skills. The block arrangement for clerical off-the-job training was successful. A woman who had been unemployed for at least 26 months before her Jobskills placements commented:

We did sort of start [the off-the job training] then go into the office, then go back again and did first aid. But I sort of feel if we'd [done some of) the courses, worked in the office and then gone back and done the same courses it would have reinforced it more. I find that it's best to learn for me working rather than just in the classroom. [When I went back the second time] it was better because we'd got an understanding on the work side of it. We started in the office and we had about six weeks in the office, then went back to the classroom situation ... I found in those weeks I'd grown. I'd

. grown such a lot.

Some trainers' attitudes towards participants needed to be improved. Some people felt they were being treated like children. As one woman noted, 'a couple of people might have persisted in being late and so you're all taken into a room and sort of told off collectively. I don't think that's respectful to the people that were there always on time'. It was put plainly by one participant who said, 'they were treating us at times like school children where in actual fact we were adults'.

This certainly was not the case with all trainers, as one participant said:

I loved the fact that the trainers treated us with respect. They were just wonderful. I felt of worth. I didn't feel dumb because I didn't know anything. I just felt they thought we're all valuable human beings and you're all gonna learn and you're all great in your own way and unfortunately there's not enough jobs to go around.

Overall the failure of the clerical off-the-job training to enhance participants' existing competencies and understanding was a substantial problem.

CTtiM-care Jo&s&iiis participants

Most of the child-care participants were happy with the off-the-job training and 74 per cent said it was helpful (Table 4.9). This was best summed up by one

* woman who explained that 'we did the theoretical work in the school and we did the same in the centre as a practical, so whatever we learnt in the college we

. applied in the centre'. Problems did exist mainly because it was the first year the

52

Lnproutng Lives iitrougit Jo&s/ziiis

child-care training had operated, and these related to the way the course was structured and implemented. As one young woman explained:

There wasn't enough time to fit everything in. It seems to me that they skipped a lot on purpose because it was only six months. They tried to cram the year into six months and three days of that was on-the-job training [sic] so those two days a week really fit in a year's work of child-care assistant's studies.

Outdoor Jobs&tMs par^czpan,is

Only one in three participants who did an outdoor Job skills placement said that the off-the-job training was helpful or relevant. For example, Doug said in his interview, T really enjoyed doing it and doing the first aid certificate made me feel confident, if I was away from hospital and an emergency situation happened'.

The participants who did their placement with one particular broker, who was also the off-the-job training provider, were all disappointed with their off-the-job training. The model which combines the role of broker and off-the-job training provider creates a similar potential for problems as combining the role of broker and employer; it prevents remedial action from being taken when difficulties occur. The following comments represent the views of outdoor participants who ,undertook this off-the-job training:

It was so patchy it was hard to maintain any enthusiasm. It was good to learn to use some tools and machinery but when it was only used to fill in time, with no relation to anything it didn't really make sense.

They weren't interested in teaching us anything. Our supervisors weren't qualified and fought between themselves. There was no-one to really explain things or tell you what to do.

Another outdoor Job skills participant's comment about off-the-job training was, T didn't get any!'. The problems associated with the outdoor participants' off-the-job training indicate that some of these placements were 'job creation' focused rather than 'skill development' focused.

ZndtvtdnaZ needs

Individual disabilities seem to have been difficult for some off-the-job trainers to deal with, as one person who was looking for work explained:

I think the major thing boiled down to the fact that I have a hearing loss.Teachers weren't able to understand it properly, to successfully help me to get what I wanted from it ... I was a little bit more stressed out than I'd probably be normally and that didn't help it either. So it was a combination of those two things. The teachers had a big class to deal with, I could not *continually stop them all the time so I tried to be independent, and do it

&

53

ZntprouMtg Liues i/troug/t

alone a lot of the time which didn't help. But at times I felt I really needed that extra bit of help.

Demands o / tAe o^Ae-job Gaining

Sometimes there was a problem with employer inflexibility in relation to the off- the-job training needs of their participant. Completing assessment work was a problem, as one participant explained:

The main difficulty I faced is because the college they gave us assignments. It's very tough to complete the assignments because there's no time to really do that. Because you have to go to the library you can't. And generally that's impossible because on weekends the library used to be closed. It's just the work load of it you know.

Work experience and skills

Eighty-six per cent of participants said that the work experience component of their Jobskills placement equipped them with new skills (Table 4.10). Outdoor participants were somewhat less likely than others to identify new skills development.

Most felt that their new skills built on their previous skills to improve their job prospects. That 30 per cent of child-care Jobskills participants said that their work experience did not build on their previous work skills, reflected both that some participants had never worked before and that others were adapting their skills to a new occupation.

Table 4.10 Work skill in JobskillsANSWERED YES PLACEMENT

C7erica% Ou^oor CAiM-care% % % %

Work equipped me with new skills

88 74 87 86

These new skills built 83 69 70 78on previous skills Number (M) CIS) (31) f*H4)

While 85 per cent of those working felt the skills built on their previous skills, only 71 per cent of those who were looking for work felt the skills they gained through their work experience built on their previous skills.

-3

54

improving Liucs i/troug/t Jo&s^iMs

Working conditions

Participants were asked to rate their satisfaction and dissatisfaction with a list of working conditions (Table 4.11). Dissatisfaction was most frequently associated with the level of the training (29 per cent).

Table 4.11 Dissatisfaction with working conditionsLEVEL OF PLACEMENTDISSA7TSFAC270N

C7ertca% Outdoor CLdd-care Tbia%% % % %

The amount you earned 35 20 19 29The cost of buying things for work or training

13 7 19 14

Arrangements for child-care 0 0 7 2Number of hours you worked

4 0 10 5

Time during the day you worked

3 0 10 4

The flexibility of working hours

6 7 10 7

Opportunity to take sick leave

3 0 10 4

Level of responsibility 15 13 19 16Tasks in the work 12 33 10 14Skills developed 6 33 7 10Equipment available to use 12 20 13 13Safety precautions at work 12 33 7 13Number (3'J _____ fJJQ

Note that level of dissatisfaction is a combination of feeling dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. More than one response could be given.

The satisfaction with working conditions has been broken into a number of topics: those related to income, costs and preconditions for participation; conditions that relate to human resource management, including the number of hours people were working and the flexibility of their working hours; and conditions that were particularly relevant to the work participants were performing including the level of responsibility and the equipment available. Although some of these conditions are discussed in more detail in other parts of this report, they are discussed briefly to indicate the relative dissatisfaction people had with each component.

income, cos%s and preconditions /or participation

Most (71 per cent) of the people were satisfied with their training wage and this reflects the feeling of these people that it was more than government income

55

Ztues <Zo6sAiJJs

support (particularly tor single people). However 29 per cent of participants were dissatisfied with the amount they earned, which included 6 per cent of participants who were very dissatisfied (see Table 4.14). In addition 14 per cent of participants were dissatisfied with the fact that they had to buy things for work or training

Inadequate child-care was a concern for a small number of participants. Two people who did child-care Jobskills placements complained about their employers' decision to exclude their child from the Centre at which they were doing a placement.

Human resource management

Generally very few participants expressed any dissatisfaction with the number of hours they worked, the time during the day they worked, the flexibility of their working hours, and their opportunity to take sick leave. As Table 4.11 shows, this was a small but significant problem for those participants doing a child-care placement.

The child-care industry places workers in contact with a large number of children (with a variety of childhood illnesses) in any one week. Those doing a child-care placement were much more likely to be unhealthy during their Jobskills placement than those doing other placements, with 30 per cent of child-care participants rating their health as fair or poor during their placement. It is disturbing that 10 per cent of child-care participants felt constrained in taking sick leave.

Wor% per/ormance

The dissatisfaction associated with tasks performed, skills developed and the safety precautions taken by the employers for those undertaking an outdoor Jobskills placement was comparatively high, with one in three people doing this type of placement expressing dissatisfaction (Table 4.11).

Some participants were not happy with the initial level of responsibility they were given when they first commenced their placements. This issue was addressed by brokers but new employers did face the problem of judging the level of responsibility they should place on participants. Good job descriptions play an important role in minimising this problem. This allows individual progression of responsibility and task performances which match the capacity of the participant and this is a strength of the existing Jobskills program.

In summary, the greatest level of dissatisfaction with Jobskills conditions relate to the inadequate level of the training wage. Human resource management issues, mainly to do with hours of work, were a small but significant problem. Dissatisfaction with components of conditions that related to performing tasks was also a minor but important problem, especially for those who did an outdoor Jobskills placement.

56

Zntproutng Z:ues f/trough c/o&shtHs

Wording o/Lers

Functioning well at the work place depends to a large extent on the relationships workers have with one another. Success in a labour market program such as Jobskills requires that participants interact with their supervisor and other workers in a congenial atmosphere which promotes competency-based skills development.

The main dissatisfaction reported related to the formal on-the-job training participants received from their supervisor. Twenty-three per cent of all participants were dissatisfied with the training (Table 4.12).

Table 4.12 Dissatisfaction in working with othersAREA OF DiSSA?LSFAC7TON PLACEMENT

C/ertcaZ OM%&*or CLiM-care Tbh3%% % % %

Training from supervisor 12 60 29 23Relationship with supervisor 10 47 10 15Skills workers passed on 9 33 19 15Support from others at work 10 27 10 12The friendliness of workers 4 13 13 8Understanding of ethnic - - - -

backgroundNu/nber fM) flS) (3D P 'O

Note that level of dissatisfaction is a combination of feeling dissatisfied or very dissatisfied. More than one response could be given.

Dissatisfaction was particularly high among outdoor participants. Sixty per cent of the outdoor participants were dissatisfied with the training they received from their supervisor and almost half these participants were dissatisfied with the relationship they had with their supervisor.

Transport

When participants were asked if transport to work during their placement was a problem, 15 per cent of participants reported difficulty at least some time during their placement, while 11 per cent of participants found transport to their off-the- job training was a problem (Table 4.12). Overall 18 per cent of participants had a problem with either their transport to work or their transport to the off-the-job training. Seven per cent of participants had problems with both transport to their work and the off-the-job training.

57

Zmj9routMg Lines through Johshiiis

Table 4.13 Problems with transportTRANSPORT PROBLEMS PLACEMENT

CJerica% OM&foor CMM-care Tbia%% % % %

With getting to work 12 7 26 15With getting to off-the-job 6 13 19 11training

Most of those doing a clerical placement who had problems with transport lived in rural Victoria. Their problems related to both lack of public transport and its inadequacy, and the problems associated with not having a car. As one person said, 'there were no trains or buses so I had to borrow a friend's car'. Transport problems for those doing a child-care placement were also related to inadequate public transport and an incapacity to access reliable private transport. One woman who could not afford to buy a car explained the dilemma that she faced:

Actually by driving it's only 15 minutes to my work placement which is in an adjacent suburb, but I don't drive so it used to take me one hour to go. Because there's no public transport access.

CESAC (1994) makes the suggestion that Jobskills should give additional * assistance to those who 'have difficulty because of their remote location'. This is

an important but still inadequate response to what is a major problem for many of the long-term unemployed who undertake labour market programs. Many who had problems in this study were not living in remote geographical locations.

The impact on families

Thirty-eight per cent of people reported that their Jobskills placement had an effect on their family life, with a slightly higher percentage of women (40 per cent) than of men (33 per cent) saying this. The people most likely to say that their Jobskills placement had no effect on their family life were single people (81 per cent), whether living by themselves or with others. In contrast the people most likely to say that their placement had an effect on their family life were single parents (all women). There was little difference according to age.

When talking about the impact of their Jobskills placement on their family life, 26 per cent of those interviewed made a positive comment about how the placement had improved their personal relationships with others and the perception that others had of them. The person's previous work history had some effect on the implications of their placement. For some people this was the first time they had been to work or the first time they had been working for many years. As one person explained, 'my children had to learn I had a life of my own and I couldn't be at their beck and call. My youngest child, it was the first time I couldn't go to sporting events and support her. She missed out'.

The complications for families were sometimes extremely stressful on the whole -2 family. As one woman who did a child-care Jobskills placement complained:

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Tntprouing Liues through Johshitts

I had to place my child in a different child-care centre because there was a policy in the Centre where I worked that I cannot take my child with me. She used to miss me because she was only 18 months when I was doing that. It was pretty hard. I have a very supportive husband. But I used to miss my child very much. There was a shuffle in the way we organised the day-to- day running of the family. There was never any time when I was at home for my husband or my child. Even at night I used to work on my assignments and my husband used to do part-time studies in the evenings. We never used to meet together at all. Even on weekends he used to work on his assignments, I used to work on mine. So it was stressful on the family life but we could make it, I'm grateful for that. He's very supportive. We couldn't really meet or spend time with each other and half way through I got pregnant so it was very exhausting. The physical workload of it. Other than that it was very much OK because I was emotionally strong.

Post-program support

The Jobskills program guidelines for 1992-93 made no mention of the need to provide post placement support for participants. In the Jobskills program guidelines for 1993-94, DEET specified that it required brokers to provide job search support before placements were completed. This study found that support provided to participants by brokers was variable, and some participants found their Jobskills employers supportive rather than their broker (Table 4.14). The differences in the level of support between different occupational categories may be a reflection of the variations in brokers. Some 80 per cent of those who did an outdoor Jobskills placement felt they received no support at all after their placement.

Table 4.14 Support after finishing JobskillsSUPPORT PLACEMENT

Ctericat Outdoor ChiM-care To tat% % % %

No support 31 80 42 40

YesJobskills employer 27 0 17 20Jobskills broker 17 13 27 20Family/friends 9 0 7 8Job Club 6 0 0 3Skillshare 3 0 0 2CES 2 0 7 3Other 5 7 0 4

Total Yes 69 20 58 60

Total 100 100 100 100.Number CM) CM3)More than one response could be given.

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fmprouing Ltues through JobshitZs

* DEET stress the high cost of the Jobskills program, and the importance ofundertaking post-program support. However the CES contacted less than one in

« four people to provide even basic post-program job search support themselves(Table 4.15). Yet after finishing their placement these people are at their most motivated and positive, and are likely to be viewed positively by employers, and follow up and support welcome and effective.

Table 4.15 CES contact after JobskillsCES CONTACT AC7TW7T

Wor&ing Loo&mg /or HJor/s O^er Total% % % %

Yes 13 33 33 22No 87 67 67 78Total 100 100 100 100NM/n&er (7H?) _____^ _________________ ______

When participants were asked about the CES only one in three people said they thought the CES had been helpful when looking for a job. This supports the findings of recent research which has shown that the CES have a very poor image with the long-term unemployed people (Jackson & Crooks 1993).

The participants introduced in the case studies in Chapter 3 illustrated a range of experiences with CES. Susan felt the CES had been helpful but she was not happy with the support she had received from them. She explained, 'I haven't heard from them in 12 months. And the only time I heard from them was for my Newstart Agreement'. Some people were positive and felt the CES was an important service. Doug, although unemployed, said that he had 'applied for jobs through the CES since I finished Jobskills and they have been helpful and nice'. Carmen felt the CES had been helpful for her, 'they have many people [to help], you have to keep asking, you have to knock on the door constantly to let them know you want a job'. Overall, many people felt that they had to fight to receive help from the CES or try to develop a good relationship with a committed CES worker.

Finishing the placement

Ninety-two per cent of people who were interviewed had finished their placement. The majority of people who left before finishing their placement did so to go into 'open' employment. Some went into 'subsidised' employment, as one woman who went straight onto Jobstart explained, 'my sister's father-in-law rang me up and so I went into full-time employment'. In another case, the broker rang the participant and organised an interview for her during her placement, and this young rural woman achieved a full-time position. One broker got three of her participants full-time work near the end of their placement. One person did not finish his placement because he could not work with his supervisor, as this man

60

Zmproutng L:ues tbrougb JobsbtZ^s

complained about his supervisor, 'it was really hot at work [in summer] and he had me painting lines on asphalt'.

Conclusion and discussion

The large majority of participants identified major benefits they had gained in undertaking a Jobskills placement. The most frequently mentioned benefits were related to formal training and practical work experience and training on the one hand and self-esteem, personal development, friendship and communication on the other.

Participants were less likely to identify difficulties with their placement with 30 per cent saying there were insignificant or no difficulties. Inappropriate off-the- job training, and disharmony with other workers, were named by a relatively small proportion.

The various components of the Jobskills program were discussed with the participants.

Both brokers and employers were seen as helpful and supportive by the majority of the participants.

On-^be-job framing was valued by most participants. There was an indication that more development was required in the on-the-job training, so that each participant could expect to have developed competency-based skills at the end of their placement. Small employers required support in developing and implementing on-the-job training programs. Brokers should continue to monitor the on-the-job training and its quality regularly, and provide additional support to employers when necessary. Proforma on-the-job training plans greatly improve the chances that participants will benefit from this component.

For many participants their o/jf-ibe-job framing was a positive and useful mechanism for improving their chances of accessing the labour market. A significant number of participants had difficulties, which could have been overcome if the competencies of participants had been assessed prior to their commencement.

Recent changes to the focus of off-the-job training, moving to a focus on competency-based training for individuals should improve the relevance that participants feel their training has for them. The introduction of a horticultural rather than outdoor occupational focus may improve both the off-the-job training and the labour market position of participants completing their placement in this occupational area.

In some cases the relationships between workers and Jobskills participants could be enhanced. Participants had been out of the work force for at least a year and a small number found it difficult to re-establish their interpersonal skills in the work place, or cope with workers who felt threatened by their presence.

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CHAPTER 5: LABOUR MARKET SITUATION AFTERJOBSKILLS*

This chapter considers the employment situation, labour market experiences and financial situation of the participants at the time they were interviewed. It concludes by considering the barriers to employment faced by participants and their view of the role of Jobskills in their employment situation.

at

Labour market status

Participants' situation with regard to working, looking for work, studying and other activities is presented in Table 5.1. As outlined above, at the time of their interview, the majority of child-care participants had completed their placement 11 months previously, the majority of clerical participants finished their placement seven months, and the majority of outdoor participants eight months ago (Table 2.2).

Gender

Table 5.1 Involvement of participants in labour market by genderAC7YW7T GENDER

Ee/noZe Afcde% % %

Working and not looking for works 49 38 47Working and looking for works 4 13 6Minimal work and looking for workb 8 4 7Working and studyings 4 0 3Looking for workb 20 25 21Studying and looking for workb 8 12 9Studying^ 3 4 3Otherc 4 4 4Total 100 100 100Number <7W _____ (M)_____ ru e)

" Included as 'working' in Table 5.3.b Included as 'looking for work' in Table 5.3. Minimal work is defined as 6 hours a week or less, c Included as 'other' in Table 5.3.

Sixty-three per cent of people were working at the time they were interviewed. This included: people who were working and not looking for work, people who were working and looking for work, and people who were in minimal work and looking for work. A further 15 per cent of people were studying. That is 75 per cent of people were either working or studying, 21 per cent of people were looking for work and another 4 per cent were outside the labour market. There was very little difference between the outcomes for females and males (Table 5.1).

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Jntprouing Liues tttroMgh Jobsbitts

Studying and other iabonr market programs

One of the important outcomes for participants was that 15 per cent of them went on to some form of study. Their capacity to access permanent positions in open employment and attract higher incomes would be likely to be enhanced by their further studies. There was very little difference between the percentage of men and women who were studying (15 per cent of females and 16 per cent of males, see Table 5.1). Table 5.2 shows 15 per cent of those who did a clerical placement were doing some form of further study, 33 per cent of those who had done an outdoor placement and 9 per cent of those a child-care placement.

Table 5.2 Current status regarding studyS7ATOS PLACEMENT

Ciericai Outdoor CLiid-care Totai% % % %

Full time study 5 13 6 6Part time study 10 20 3 9Total 15 33 9 15Ndm-bcr (70) 05) ____^ ______

Three participants who had done a child-care placement had returned to undertake post-secondary courses. Two were doing an Associate Diploma of Social Science (Child-care) at TAFE colleges and the other was doing a course unrelated to her Jobskills occupation. These three people were all aged between 21 and 35 years old. One was looking for part-time work, one was not looking for work and the other was working part-time.

Ten female participants who had done a clerical placement were involved in labour market programs or studying at the time of their interview. Four of these participants had returned to undertake post-secondary courses. Two were doing a course at a tertiary institution and one was doing a course unrelated to. her Jobskills occupation category. One person was attending Job Club. They had diverse work situations.

Five participants who had done an outdoor placement were involved in labour market programs or studying at the time of their interview. Two were doing a course at a tertiary institution and two were doing structured skills training in a course unrelated to their Jobskills occupation.

The percentage of participants who were doing further study reflects the employment outcomes for the different occupational categories and the opportunities that the participants had to assess the appropriateness of the occupations in terms of their future careers.

Oper<3 on.<3% indicators o/ iabonr /nar&et statns

The categories of labour market status in Table 5.1 are used to build three combined activity classifications in Table 5.3. The three classifications interpret

63

Z/nprouwg Ltues tArougA JiobsAiZZs

the assumptions about the psychological status of people with regard to unemployment taken from the work of Ezzy (1993), indicating people's position in relation to the labour market. The classification has the disadvantage of removing 'studying' from the general analysis (as it is incorporated into other categories). This can be partly attributed to the small sample size, as a more substantial sample size would have permitted a combined activity category that incorporated 'studying'.

Table 5.3 shows the combined classification as follows:

* 'working'—people working and not looking for another job, people working and looking for further work, and people who were working and studying;

* 'looking for work'—people looking for work, people studying and looking for work, and people working an average six or less hours a week (minimal work) and looking for work; and

* 'other'—people who were studying and neither working nor looking for work and people who were generally not interested in being in the labour market or who excluded themselves from the labour market.

These three combined categories are useful for analysis and unless otherwise indicated are used throughout this report, that is, it is assumed for the purposes of analysis that participants were either working, looking for work or outside the labour market. As shown in Table 5.3, 56 per cent of people interviewed were working, 36 per cent were looking for work, and 8 per cent were doing something other than working or looking for work.

Table 5.3 Active involvement of participantsCOMBINED AC7YW7T PLACEMENT

Ciericai Outdoor Chdd-care Toiai% % % %

Working 53 40 71 56Looking for work 40 53 19 36Other 7 7 10 8Total 100 100 100 100Number 03) (3D m s j_____

Noie: See also Table 5.1.

Jobs/dds occupa%io7K3% categories and iabour mar/:ei position.

Labour market outcomes for the Jobskills placements' occupational categories show some clear differences: 71 per cent of those who did the child-care Jobskills placement were working, compared with 53 per cent of those who did clerical

* placement and 40 per cent who did an outdoor placement (Table 5.3). There wasa small but 'significant' association (phi=0.24 chi-square p<0.05) between

occupational placement and employment outcome.

64

Zntprouing Liues t/trougA

Lobo^r marAe/ s/aius and o^ber cbarac/erfs/fcs

In terms of gender 57 per cent of women were working compared with 51 per cent of men (see Table 5.1). One-third (33 per cent) of participants who did their placement through a broker in Melbourne were looking for work compared with 41 per cent of participants who did their placement through a broker in rural Victoria (Table 5.4). This reflects the greater difficulties brokers located in rural Victoria face in attaining the same level of successful employment outcomes for their participants as brokers located in Melbourne.

Table 5.4 Position in labour market by location o f brokerRROXRR

Wording%

AC2TW7T Loobtng /or ujorb

%O/ber

%Tb/a%

%

Rural Victoria 53 41 6 100Melbourne 58 33 9 100Number CM) _______ _____________ ____ ___ fJ S )

In terms of household structure, 73 per cent of people who had a partner were working and 64 per cent of people who were living with their parents or their family were working (Table 5.5). The two household types most likely to be looking for work were single people without and with children.

Table 5.5 Position in labour market by household structure RORSEEOLD AC7TWTY

Worb/ng Looking /or toor/s O/ber 7b/a/% % % %

Single 42 48 10 100Single & children) 43 50 7 100Partner 73 20 7 100Partner & children) 56 28 17 100Parents and/or family 64 33 3 100Number ____ _________ ____ ___________________ f9) 774

Table 5.6 shows that the age group most likely to be working was the 36—45 years group (75 per cent of whom were working). Those in the age group 46 years or more had significant difficulties gaining employment with only 31 per cent working.

65

Tmproumg Ltues Jo6s^:ZJs

Table 5.6 Position in labour market by ageAGE

Worhiug%

AC7YWTT Looking /or ujorh

%0%her

%Tb%aJ

%

21—25 years 58 38 4 10026—35 years 49 33 18 10036— 45 years 75 20 5 10046 years or more 31 69 0 100Number ra?) C42)___________^ ) ____ GM)

Participants' education level had some impact on their position in respect to the labour market (see Table 5.7). People whose education level was below Year 10 were most likely to be looking for work (60 per cent). In comparison, only 22 per cent of people who completed Year 12 were looking for work. The analysis of people who were in higher education showed that all those who had Bachelors of Arts degrees were in work, that 50 per cent of people who had diplomas were looking for work and that 30 per cent of people who had a trade qualification were also looking for work. Of those people who had overseas qualifications only 14 per cent were looking for work and 57 per cent were working. These findings support other studies showing that length of schooling has a significant influence on employment outcomes (Baker 1984).

Table 5.7 Position in labour market by educationED17CA7TON AC7TW7T

Wording Looking /or morh Other% % %

Toted%

Number

Up to Year 10 33 60 7 100 G3)Year 10 52 42 6 100Year 11 52 40 8 100 (23)Year 12 68 22 10 100 GN)Tb%a% ____

Employment

Putt-time, part-time or casual

Of the participants working at the time of the interview, 12 per cent of people were employed one day or less per week, 23 per cent between one and four days in the week, 35 per cent were in employment between four to five days in the week and 30 per cent more than five days in the week (see Table 5.8).

Those who undertook clerical or child-care placements were more likely to be working three days or less per week. The 15 per cent of people who had done clerical Jobskills placement and were working one day or less per week were in a fairly marginal position in the labour market. It is not possible to say whether

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this work was a continuation of previous clerical or office-based work. It is however possible to say that most of the people who had done a child-care placement who were working one day or less per week were working in child-care work. Many child-care participants, after they finished their placements, worked for agencies.

All but one of the people working one day a week or less were women. That women were more likely to be working fewer hours than men was a combination of choice, and the problem of the casualised workforce associated with the child­care industry.

Table 5.8 Days of employment of participants working at time ofinterview

DAYS PER WEEE PLACEMENTCJer coJ Outdoor CbfM-care

% % % %

One day or less 15 0 9 121—2 days 0 0 4 12—3 days 10 0 23 143—4 days 7 33 5 84—5 days 44 0 23 35More than 5 days 24 67 36 30Total 100 100 100 100Number ______ (3)___ (22) (66p

Note;a Includes those working in minimal work, but responses are missing from some people in

minimal work who described themselves as unemployed.

Of the people who classified themselves as employed, 37 per cent (25) said they wanted to be employed more hours. Those who were employed the equivalent of two days or less all wanted more hours. Interestingly, three of the 20 people who were employed the equivalent of five days or more, wanted to be employed more hours. This may reflect their low wages.

While 46 per cent (five) of men who were employed wanted to be employed more hours, only 36 per cent (20) of the women wanted to be employed more hours.

Overall people from clerical and child-care placements wanted to be working more hours and would upgrade their positions to full-time if they could obtain full-time work. This suggests that once the economy starts to pick up, those people that are working in the clerical area may be able to gain full-time jobs. People in child-care work in an expanding industry, and their chances of gaining full-time work are promising.

1

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Zmproutng Liues Jo6s^tHs

emp?oymen%

Eighteen per cent of people employed said their job involved them working shiftwork. Eleven of the 12 people who were in shift work were women: 12 per cent (four) of the women who had done a clerical placement were doing shiftwork, as were 32 per cent (seven) of the women who had done a child-care placement.

Temporary or permanent employ men.%

Some 73 per cent of those who were employed said they considered their employment as permanent. Some 39 per cent of those who had undertaken a child-care placement said their employment was temporary, whereas only 15 per cent of those who had done a clerical placement considered their employment to be temporary. All of the outdoor participants who were in employment said their employment was temporary.

The pathway to work

Brokers, DEET and others are interested in the employment 'outcomes' of participants at the end of their placement. DEET monitor participants' labour market position three months after they have finished their placement to assess 'outcomes' in relation to unsubsidised employment. In this survey participants' situations at the time of interview have been presented and this represents a measure of labour market 'outcome' of participants at, for most, between six and 12 months. As the case studies showed, people's unemployment experience between finishing their placement and their interview were very varied.

Twenty-three per cent of people who were interviewed have not done any work at all since they finished their Jobskills placement (Table 5.9). This represents 27 per cent of participants who did a clerical Jobskills placement, 47 per cent of participants who did an outdoor Jobskills placement, and only 3 per cent of participants who had done a child-care Jobskills placement. Overall those who did a child-care placement were much more likely to have had a greater amount of work whether that work be in the secondary or primary labour market.

Table 5.9 Months in work since finished Jobskills placementATONTWE 77V 1VOPE PLACEMENT

C7ericcd Outdoor ChiM-care% % % %

Nil 27 47 3 231—3 14 27 6 144—6 24 0 3 157—9 28 26 7 2210—14 7 0 81 26Total 100 100 100 100Number c ia

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Zrmproutug Ztues JobsAftts

There were 22 people who said they were unemployed at the time of interview, but that they had done some work since they had finished their Jobskills placement. This was slightly less than half the people (47 per cent) who were unemployed at the time of their interview. Only four people said that the employment had been full-time, typically the employment had been part-time and temporary.

More than half (55 per cent) had had one job since finishing their placement and 22 per cent had had two or more jobs (Table 5.10). Half the participants who did a child-care placement had two or more jobs since completing their placement.

Table 5.10 Number of jobs since finished Jobskills placementMONTHS PLACEMENT

Clerical Outdoor Child-care Total% % % %

Nil 27 47 3 23One 59 53 47 55Two 10 0 27 13Three 4 0 13 6Four or more 0 0 10 - 3Total 100 100 100 100Number fM) CMJ CM)

The child-care sector has a number of characteristics that make it both attractive and unattractive for those undertaking a child-care placement. As well as being a growth industry, it employs a great number of relief staff. While agency staff are attractive to employers in this industry, the role of caring for children means that trust and an individual worker's personality are well regarded attributes. Even while fading to gain a permanent position, many child-care Jobskills participants were likely to have done relief work for their Jobskills employer. Networks amongst the community child-care sector is strong and the recommendation of a manager can ensure that participants gained relief. Some participants joined agencies, and worked at a large number of different centres.

Long-term unemployment

There is a need to understand the relative labour market disadvantage of those undertaking the program. Those who have been unemployed for many years were likely to be severely disadvantaged. Government welfare payments to unemployed people were not designed as a long-term income source. It is likely that those relying on government welfare payments for a long period would suffer severe resource inadequacies.

Out of the 116 who were interviewed in mid-1994, 9 per cent (11) people had not worked at all since at least the end of 1990, apart from doing the work experience component of their Jobskills placement. Nine of the 11 people did a clerical

69

i/nproumF Lfues ^Arou^A JoAsA^Zs

placement and the other two an outdoor Jobskills placement. This means that 13 per cent of both clerical and outdoor Jobskills participants had no employment over a 42-month period prior to their interview.

Financial position before, during and after Jobskills

Jobskills had a positive effect on the income of many participants during their placement, but for some this was a temporary experience. Table 5.11 shows that 42 per cent of people said their present financial situation at the interview was good, 36 per cent described their present financial situation as fair and 22 per cent said their present financial situation was poor. In contrast, only 11 per cent had said their financial situation was good before their placement.

Table 5.11 Financial situation o f those in work and not in workFfAANCML SJTCMTYON

Be/bre DMrin-gJobs&iMs Jobs&iMs

% % %

Good 11 42 42Fair 39 51 36Poor 50 7 22Total 100 100 100Number _______

As Table 5.12 shows 66 per cent of those who were working described theirfinancial situation as good, and only 5 per cent said their financial situation was poor. In direct contrast, only 12 per cent of those looking for work described theirfinancial situation as good, and nearly half (43 per cent) indicated they viewed their financial situation as poor.

Table 5.12 Financial situation o f those in work and not in workFHVAWCML SiTtMTYON AC77W7T

Nb% tn.% %

Good 66 12Fair 29 45Poor 5 43Total 100 100Number ___________

Seven per cent of people said they did not have enough money to pay the bills when they came in, 43 per cent said that they had just enough money to get by on; 25 per cent said they had enough to get by on, with the few extras they wanted; and another 25 per cent said their situation was such that they could

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improving Lives through Jobsi:iiis

save money which they did not have to spend (Table 5.13). Financial capacity was again significantly associated with employment status.

Table 5.13 Financial capacity of those in work and not in work at time of interview

FINANCIAL CAPACITY ACTYWTYWor%Mn,g Noi tn mor& Total

% % %

Not enough to pay my bills 2 14 7Just enough to get by on 32 57 43Enough to get by on, with a few extras 25 26 251 can save money, which 1 don't spend 41 4 25Total 100 100 100Number CH?) 161) (113)

The median income level of those who were looking for work was $101-$200 (with 71 per cent within this income level). In contrast, the median income level of those who were working was $301-$400 (with 54 per cent within this income level).

The mean income for people who were interviewed and who were working was $291 net per week. People who were employed six or more hours per week, earned an average of $9.70 per hour (this hourly figure is overstated as it includes income from non-wage sources as part of the calculation).

The earning levels reflect the number of hours that people were in employment. Seven of the 11 people earning $101-$200 worked less than eight hours a week, and 30 of the 33 people who earned $301-$400 worked four or more days per week.

There was little difference in the income levels of men and women.

The occupational category of people's Job skills placement influenced their income: 62 per cent of people who did a clerical placement and were working were receiving an income of $301 or more, but only 38 per cent of people who did a child-care Job skills placement and were working were in this income group.

The mean net weekly income level of participants who did a clerical placement was $253; a child-care placement was $234; and a outdoor placement was low at $180. These figures were influenced by employment status.

Barriers to the labour market

While labour market programs like Jobskills can assist in addressing the needs of participants, it is useful to understand the broad range of problems participants have in gaining access to the labour market. It is difficult to

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understand employment 'outcomes' unless it is possible to understand the range of barriers people have already faced in accessing the labour market. Participants were asked whether particular problems had been a difficulty for them, in their attempt to find a job (Table 5.14).

Table 5.14 Trouble with finding a jobYESBECAUSE PLACEMENT

Wording Looking /or mor& TbiaZ% % %

Not enough jobs available 87 91 89Not the right education or training 62 52 59Don't have suitable skills 71 62 68Don't have suitable work experience 83 71 78Where 1 live 22 24 23Think I'm too young 13 19 15Think I'm too old 52 76 62Don't have suitable transport 21 33 26Housing situation 6 2 5Health or some disability 18 33 25Way 1 look or dress 18 12 15Racial discrimination 8 0 5Gender discrimination 10 14 13Might get pregnant 7 0 4Problems with child-care 3 5 4Number (63) (42) (136)*

Note response from those in the 'other' category, except one person, are excluded because of the way the survey was designed.

sZrucZuraZZy maccessi&Ze /abour mar&eZ

As Table 5.14 shows, an overwhelming 89 per cent of participants felt they had trouble finding a job because there were not enough jobs available (91 per cent of those looking for work and 87 per cent of those working). The growth area, child­care, had only slight influence on participants' responses and 82 per cent of participants who did a child-care placement felt they had been prevented from getting a job because there are too few jobs available (compared with 93 per cent outdoor and 91 per cent clerical participants).

Wor& s&iZ/s to attract employers

Over half (59 per cent) of those who were interviewed said they felt they had trouble getting a job because they did not have the right kind of education or training. Some 68 per cent of participants felt their lack of suitable skills were partly responsible for their trouble in finding a job.

Work experience is valued differently within various occupations: 78 per cent ofparticipants said they had trouble getting a job because they did not have

sufficient work experience. Of participants completing an outdoor placement 93

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per cent felt this was a problem for them (in contrast to three out of every four clerical or child-care participants). This may reflect the value the employers of 'outdoor' participants place on work experience, whereas the employers in the other two occupational areas may place greater importance on training or other skills.

ZocaJtsec? %a&OMr 7nar&ei proMe/ns

Twenty-three per cent of participants said that where they live had caused them trouble in finding a job. Whether participants were working or looking for work made no difference to the way this question was answered. There was also little difference in the way the participants from the different occupational Jobskills categories responded to this question or between urban or rural brokers. Twenty-one per cent of participants with urban brokers said where they lived was a problem compared with 25 per cent of those with a non-metropolitan broker.

Ouercommg problems or &sab^ify discrimination.

Twenty-five per cent of participants said they had trouble finding a job because of their health or disability. While 18 per cent of those now working had faced this problem, 33 per cent of those who were still looking for work said that this problem had caused them trouble when trying to find a job.

Ageism in tAe iabonr market

Fifteen per cent of those interviewed said their young age had prevented them from finding a job. None of the participants who did an outdoor placement felt that their young age had prevented them from getting a job, but 18 per cent of clerical and child-care did so. This may reflect the older average age of outdoor participants.

A majority (62 per cent) of participants felt they had been prevented from getting a job because employers felt they were too old. (It should be noted that only 11 per cent of participants were aged over 45 while 42 per cent were 25 years or less.)

Employers' perceptions about job seekers above a certain age has been acknowledged as a problem in assisting people into the labour market. There is a perception in the community that workers in the older age segment of the labour market are unwilling to retrain or have skills that do not match those needed by employers in the 1990s. Other studies have found that older people feel that because of their age they are discriminated against by employers (Jackson & Crooks 1993). This demonstrates the importance of a Jobskills placement in illustrating to an employer the flexibility and enthusiasm of older people. However to be successful this may need to be accompanied by a more general education campaign about the benefits of employing older workers, who offer significant work and life experience.

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NeeJzng i/ze resources ge u or/z

Poverty undermines people's ability to access the labour market. Without the money to buy clothes, to pay for flexible and reliable transport and to have secure and appropriate housing, accessing the labour market will be extremely difficult. Jackson and Crooks (1993) found that costs associated with looking for work, including the need to pay for clothing and other materials, and the lack of adequate and affordable transport were barriers that made finding employment difficult.

Five per cent of participants said their housing situation had caused them trouble when they were trying to find a job. Fifteen per cent of people said the way they dressed or looked had caused them trouble when they were looking for a job.

More than one in every four people said having unsuitable transportation had caused them trouble when they had been searching for work. While 21 per cent of those working said this had been a problem, 33 per cent still looking for work said that their lack of suitable transportation caused them trouble.

There is a need to recognise that in urban areas appropriate public transport would assist in addressing the needs of many long-term unemployed people. For some of those still looking for work, it is likely that lacking suitable transport, having unstable housing arrangements and not having the money to improve their appearance remain problems. Without an adequate income, and without access to public transport and well-located public housing many of these people will remain excluded from the labour market. It is not sufficient to focus solely on these people's labour market skills and experience, when these specific economic barriers exist and prevent them accessing the labour market.

Racial &scri7H,in.aiion,

It has been acknowledged that people from the non-dominant ethnic background have difficulties in accessing employment (Gray 1987; Jackson & Crooks 1993). In this study, five per cent of participants said they had trouble finding a job because of their racial or ethnic background. These participants were all working; some had overseas tertiary qualifications.

Five of the thirteen (38 per cent) participants who had a non-English-speaking (NESB) background said they had trouble finding a job because of discrimination on the basis of their racial or ethnic background. These participants were assumed to have English language skills, particularly in the clerical Jobskills placements. It is probable that many of the NESB long-term unemployed people experience this impediment in their job search activities.

The way people dress can be related to the discrimination participants from a NESB face. As one participant from a NESB explained:

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improving Lives t/trough Jobshiiis

I had been to the CES and on the CES board [the job vacancy] was for a receptionist and I was wearing my Indian dress. I don't know. After a lot of talk ... because she said she wanted Year 12,1 was having Year 12. She said she wanted a speed of 45 words per minute, I was having 45 words per minute typing. But then she said, look ... I mean she didn't actually tell me what the cause was you know, but she didn't send me to that employer. So I can tell you that the way one dresses has an effect.

Gender discrimination

Thirteen per cent of participants said they had trouble finding a job because of discrimination on the basis of their gender. Four women also said they felt that they had trouble finding a job because they might get pregnant. These women were working, three had done a clerical placement and one a child-care placement.

Only four per cent of participants said that they had trouble getting a job because of problems with child-care, but this represented 13 per cent of participants who had children living with them. Obviously, despite improvements in the supply of child-care in Australia (Brennan 1994), the need for child-care, which is appropriate and accessible for those undertaking labour market programs and seeking work, still remains a problem.

Networks to access the labour market

Networks are very important in some occupations in enhancing the ability to gain employment. It is often difficult for unemployed people to develop networks with employed people. Over 90 per cent of those interviewed said they had made contacts and friends through their placement, and 97 per cent of participants were satisfied with the opportunity the work experience component of their placement gave them to meet other people.

Of those interviewed 65 per cent said they would be able to use their friends or contacts to help them get a job. As many people had gone directly from their Jobskills placement into employment with their Jobskills employer, the benefits of networks had already been demonstrated to people.

A greater proportion of those who were working than those who were looking for employment said they would be able to use these contacts to help them get a job (71 per cent compared with 57 per cent). This suggests that some participants faced barriers in developing networks or failed to recognise their importance.

Some people explained in detail how their labour market position had improved. One unemployed person said, 'my supervisor has given me a really good reference. His reference may help me to get a job in another centre'. Another person made the point that she could help 'through the people and employers they know and through them knowing what I can do'.

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Employ ment Jobs^iHs employers

An analysis of how participants, who were working, obtained their jobs showed that 38 per cent were approached by their Jobskills employer after they finished their placement to stay on as an employee. Of those who were looking for work at the time of their interview, 32 per cent of those who had had some work after their placement had done so with their Jobskills employer.

Some 22 per cent of participants were in unsubsidised employment with their Jobskills employer at between five and 14 months since completing their placements.

There is some evidence to suggest that once many of the employers decided to retain Jobskills participants they retained them on a temporary basis in casual or part-time employment until they could offer them a more substantial position. While the Jobskills placement operates as a period when employers can assess a potential employee, it is not possible to judge how many employers decide that their participant has 'failed' this trial.

The role of Jobskills in providing employment

Eighty per cent of participants who were working said their Jobskills placement ? had helped them to get their current job. Participants who did a child-care

Jobskills placement were more likely to attribute their placement as assisting them to get their current position. Eighty-six per cent of child-care Jobskills participants and 75 per cent of clerical Jobskills participants said their Jobskills placement had helped them to get their current job.

As Tracey explained she got her present position because she had 'the Child-care Assistant Certificate' from the program. For other people like Trish and Carmen, the trial performance period provided the direct link into employment; 'the placement was where I started to work'.

More than half (57 per cent) of participants who were working said that they would still be unemployed if they had not done their Jobskills placement.

Conclusion and discussion

Outcomes from labour market programs such as Jobskills include both employment, further training and for some continuing unemployment. The situation is made considerably more complex to assess when hours of employment and permanency are taken into account and similarly for training. Outcomes in terms of level and rate of income are also factors to be considered.

This study found a significant association between the type of occupational placement undertaken and employment outcomes, with the child-care participants most likely to be working, followed by those who did clerical

76

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placements while those who were in outdoor placements had the least likelihood of being in paid employment some months later.

Influences on this overall result include the number of intakes of Jobskills participants and the size of the employing organisation. People who undertook the child-care placements were in the first intake and retention rates by the Jobskills employer might have been influenced by this. Some of those doing clerical and outdoor Jobskills placements were with employers who had already had a participant (and might have retained this participant from the first intake). A further influence relates to employment growth within different occupations. The child-care industry has a higher total employment growth rate than the other two occupations (DEET 1991, p.130). Completing a labour market program placement in an expanding industry increases the chance of being retained.

This study highlights that incomes vary across Jobskills occupational categories. It also indicates the importance of assessing the actual incomes or the actual hourly rates of pay for people once they have completed a particular occupational category of a labour market program. In this study it appears that people who have completed a clerical placement were more likely to gain positions where the average hourly rate was higher than those who completed a child-care placement. However, in the child-care sector the award is broken into a number of levels, and participants who gained unqualified child-care positions would have been employed at relatively low level incomes. In contrast people who were gaining qualified child-care positions because of their pre-existing qualification would have been employed at a higher end of the income brackets for participants who were now working.

It is important to understand the barriers people have faced in attempting to access the labour market. If these participants are to move into unsubsidised employment Jobskills needs to be able to overcome these barriers and move them into a better position in the labour market. Understanding the impediments assists in evaluating how successful this labour market program can be in maximising participants' opportunities for employment. It must be emphasised that while some participants saw their lack of skills, education and work experience as a barrier to employment, almost all clearly identified lack of jobs as a barrier.

Jobskills can be a 'stepping stone' for some participants as it provides a mechanism to complete a labour market program which incorporates an accredited training component. Some participants used their Jobskills placement as a chance to begin other formal education or other formal training programs.

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fm^rotMMg Lfues <Jo6sAfHs

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSION

Introduction

As introduced in Chapter 1 the objectives of this evaluation are: to assess the value of the Job skills program in terms of labour market outcomes for participants, to assess the additional benefits for participants of being involved in the program, and to identify some of the factors that affected outcomes for participants.

This chapter discusses the data already presented in terms of these objectives, and also examines some of the policy implications of the findings for the Job skills program and for other labour market programs. It is beyond the scope of this report to compare Jobskills with other labour market programs in any detail, however, many of the findings do have implications for other programs.

The data in the report come from participants in the first two years of the Jobskills program. In 1994-95, following CESAC's review of implementation of the program (1994) and the announcement of the Wor&tn-g Action, strategy, significant changes have been introduced to the Jobskills program. The changes to the program relevant to this report include:

* The function of the Level 2 broker has been removed and taken on by DEET Area Offices.

* Brokers tender directly to DEET Area Offices for places within a given region.* Pilot brokerages covering the private sector have been introduced.* On completing the program, participants lose eligibility for Jobstart wage

subsidies and may not be eligible for Newstart benefits because they are now viewed as recently unemployed rather than returning to their long-term unemployed status.

* Placements in a wider range of occupational areas have been introduced, such as horticulture, marketing, library assistance, community development assistance, project assistance.

The implications of the findings of this study in relation to the Wor&ing Na^on policies are discussed further in a separate report (MacNeill 1995).

The value of Jobskills in terms of labour market outcomes

DEET has provided information which enables some comparison to be made between Brotherhood participants and Jobskills participants nationally. The information is for employment outcomes for participants leaving Jobskills placements in the year to end of April 1994 and this overlaps only in part with the participants interviewed in the study. DEET figures are for outcomes three months after the completion of the program:

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intprouing Liues tArougb JobsAiHs

* Full-time unsubsidised employment* Part-time unsubsidised employment* Percentage of positive outcomes

aBrotherhood National

data 4

21% 23%18% 12%47% 41%

Positive outcomes are defined by DEET as unsubsidised employment and/or non- DEET education and training. The need to look at outcome measures other than unsubsidised employment is discussed further below.

Most of the 116 people interviewed for this study who did a placement through the Brotherhood Jobskills program were able to benefit significantly from the program, in terms of labour market outcomes, in particular gaining employment, but also undertaking additional training, as well as in terms of a range of social and personal benefits.

Labour ntar&e/ ou/comes

The presentation of labour market outcomes in Chapter 4 indicates the complexity of defining these outcomes. It is not straightforward to define people as either in paid employment or unemployed because of the range of hours worked and the combinations of paid employment and other activities including studying and seeking other employment.

The employment situation of the participants at the time of their interview (five to 14 months after their placement finished) was as follows:

* 75 per cent of participants were either working (including minimal work) or studying;

* 21 per cent were looking for work (and not working nor studying); and* 4 per cent were outside the work force.

At the interview 75 per cent of participants were in a situation which could be deemed to be a success for them in terms of being involved in employment, training or education. Only 21 per cent of people were only looking for work (and neither working or studying). Another 4 per cent could best be described as outside the labour market (typically caring for children). Certainly some of the people working or studying were dissatisfied with their situation and were looking for work or were hoping to start studying in the future.

Those people who were now working or now studying, having been unemployed for at least a year before they began their Jobskills placement, were in. an improved position relative to the labour market. A small number have received little labour market benefit in that 21 per cent were still looking for work (and neither working nor studying). It is also important to note that some of those people who were looking for work had also completed other labour market programs since they finished their Jobskills program, and may receive some future labour market gains from their involvement with Jobskills.

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7yn%?routMg Ltues fArongA Jobs^tHs

The majority of people (65 per cent) who were employed were working at least 32 hours per week, while 12 per cent of ah participants were working eight hours or less per week. Of those people who were working, just over a third wanted to work more hours. This included some people who were working more than 40 hours per week. While some people who worked part-time did so of their own choice, many of the people who were working part-time wanted to work more hours. If more hours were available to these people in the future many would be likely to move to full-time work.

Factors oM%comes

Outcomes varied according to occupational placement. Overall people who undertook a child-care placement were more likely to have work than those who had done a clerical placement while those in an outdoor placement were least likely to have obtained work. As the people who completed their child-care placement did so in the 1991-92 intake, 81 per cent of people who did a child-care placement had worked between 10 and 14 months at the time they were interviewed. Almost half the people who had completed an outdoor placement had not worked since they had completed their placement. These differences in employment outcomes are discussed further below in relation to the experiences within the Jobskills program and the nature of the different occupational sectors.

Nine per cent of people who were interviewed had not worked at all since the end of 1990. This raises the issue of whether a single six-month labour market program can change the situation of those who have been unemployed for a number of years and have become substantially marginalised by their poverty.

Geographic location appeared to affect outcomes. People with a placement in Melbourne were more likely to be working than those people with a placement in rural Victoria, but this was related to some extent to the type of occupational placement.

The large majority of participants were female but there was not a marked difference in outcomes according to gender with 57 per cent of women and 51 per cent of men working at the time of interview. In terms of household and family structure the groups least likely to have work at the time they were interviewed were people living alone and sole parents. Almost half of those who were living alone or sole parents were looking for work at the time they were interviewed.

Considering age group, the people most likely to have work at the time they were interviewed were those in the age group 36-45 years. Those in the 21-25 year age group also had relatively high numbers working at the time of interview. Those least likely to be working were people aged 46 years or over.

The study found that people most likely to be working were those with higher levels of education. People who had not completed Year 10 were much more likely to be looking for work than those people who had completed Year 12.

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Additional benefits of Jobskills

Apart from the labour market outcomes for participants in terms of gaining paid work and/or undertaking further training the Jobskills program was valued by participants because it gave them new skills, social contacts and self-esteem and, for some people, a somewhat improved financial situation.

jFurt/ter deue/opment

The main benefit that people saw themselves gaining from their participation in the Jobskills program, apart from immediate employment, was some form of certificate or formal education. The nature of the Jobskills program with its focus both on training and work experience, makes it a suitable program to encourage people to pursue further training and skills development at the end of their placement. The number of people choosing this path was relatively small but significant, as they were seeking to embark on a career path rather than simply choosing to do short-term training programs that may not significantly improve their long-term access to employment. For example, a number of participants who had undertaken child-care placements decided to go on to do the Associate Diploma of Social Science (Child-care), taking a long-term view to improving their earning capacity and competitiveness in the industry. Untrained child-care workers are likely to remain on relatively low incomes.

Cordac^s and ne/ujor/ss

Many participants said that they made contacts and friends through their placement and named this as one of the main benefits of the program. The Jobskills program provided people with an opportunity to develop networks which could eventually benefit them in gaining employment, including contacts with people who could provide them with references. It also provided friends who could support them when they were looking for work. There are also labour market benefits in building up networks, for example, the child-care sector depends very heavily on people's word-of-mouth recommendation in terms of the value of a particular worker in working with children.

impact on /dmdies

Most people valued the Jobskills program because of its impact on their family life. For some Jobskills provided an important opportunity to show their families that they could make a valuable contribution through paid employment. Many families were positive and supportive, and viewed participation in Jobskills as an important step in building links with the labour market and in establishing a work routine. However, for some families there were complications and some women who were caring for their children found it particularly difficult to participate in Jobskills because of the full-time nature of the program and because of the work and training combined with homework and travel to off-the- job training.

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Personal deue%opmen.%

Many people talked about benefits of improvements to their self-esteem and their own personal development (44 per cent named this as one of the main benefits of the program). These included both people who were working and those not working after completing their placement. People commented on how unemployment had undermined their self-confidence and that some had found it difficult to relate to people when they moved back into the work place. However, by the end of their placement, many found that they felt confident again in dealing with people and in their ability to talk to people in general. This was a benefit that could be lost if they did not acquire work quickly, and highlights the need for post-program support.

PYn.ctn.cMZ%

Some people benefited financially from participation in the Jobskills program in terms of the relative increase of their income. Half of all participants described their financial situation as poor before they undertook a Jobskills placement, in contrast to only 7 per cent who viewed it as poor during the time that they were doing their placement. At the time of the interview, there was a clear association between people's financial situation and whether or not they were working. Those people who were not working were much more likely to say that they didn't have enough money to pay their bills, but many people were finding that, even when they were working, their incomes were not high enough for them to save money.

No 6en.e/i%

Only five per cent of participants said that there was no benefit or only a minimal benefit for them in actually doing the Jobskills program. One-quarter of participants who undertook an outdoor placement made this comment.

Components of the Jobskills program

The experience of participants with the various components of the Jobskills program are revisited below and the main difficulties participants identified with the program.

Employers

Most people said that their employers had been good or helpful to them. However, just over 10 per cent of people said that their employers provided either unsatisfactory supervision or management for their placement and a few felt that they had been treated as some form of cheap labour. The pressures on the community sector to provide placements in the wider context of budget cuts and often short timelines has been emphasised by service providers.

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Brokers roie

Most participants said that their broker was helpful and supportive. Just over 10 per cent of people said that they saw little need for a broker. The combination of the roles of broker and employer and/or trainer was a problem in some of the outdoor placements. Many of the people who did outdoor placements said that they did not know that there was a broker and many also expressed frustration with their employers. The combination of roles removed the possibility of the broker acting as an advocate for the participant in relation to the employer or trainer.

Participant p/an

Over one in three said that the participant plan was helpful for them. Some people were critical of participant plans because some of the things in the plan were not covered in their placement. It seems important that a participant plan is developed and that participants, when doing their placement, can recognise and monitor that they are developing the skills and doing the tasks that were laid out in their plans. Discussions with brokers suggest that there have been improvements in this area.

On-Z e- o& draining

Some 73 per cent of participants described the on-the-job training as helpful. A small number of participants who did clerical or child-care placements made the comment that they received little or no on-the-job training. Those who did outdoor placements were least likely to find the on-the-job training helpful. This area has been improved over the last few years.

O/jf-i/te-yoZ) /raining

Half the participants said that their off-the-job training was helpful or relevant. It was most likely to be seen as helpful by those doing child-care placements and least likely by those doing outdoor placements. More than a third of people who undertook a clerical placement said that off-the-job training was irrelevant as it had missed their needs. This related to the issue of variations in skill level. It might also have to do with a variation within the different training organisations who are offering off-the-job training. One in three people who did an outdoor placement made the comment that their off-the-job-training offered poor teaching techniques. Purchasing accredited training from providers to meet individual needs has improved the off-the-job training, but in rural areas it may remain a problem.

WorZ: experience

One in four participants valued the practical work experience and the work training that they received from their placement. Some also valued their placement in terms of being exposed to the culture of work.

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Wording condt^ons

There were infrequent but important problems in terms of the level of task responsibilities of participants, the skills they could develop, the equipment available for them to use, and the safety precautions that were taken at work to prevent injury.

Around 10 per cent of participants who did a child-care placement expressed their dissatisfaction with their working hours and the lack of flexibility to take sick leave. The regulations for the child-care sector make it difficult to alter people's capacity to work flexible hours. That sick leave is a right is an issue that needs to be addressed by brokers, as participants are likely to need time off because of the frequency of infections in this occupational area.

-Support %o o yo&

Twenty per cent of participants said they obtained support from their Jobskills employer and another 20 per cent said they obtained support from their Jobskills broker to assist them finding work when they completed their Jobskills placement. The relatively low level of assistance from the broker reflects that, during the early years of the Jobskills program, only some brokers provided post­program support.

Di^cu^ies a//ec%mg di eren.% occMpa%ton.a% p/acements

When asked whether there were any difficulties, 30 per cent of people said that they had insignificant or no problems during their placement. However, no-one undertaking an outdoor placement made this comment. The most frequent difficulties identified by participants for outdoor placements were inappropriate off-the-job training (47 per cent) and lack of supervision or guidance (21 per cent). The difficulties experienced by many people with their outdoor placements seemed to be related to the brokerage model used and frustration with limited job opportunities after Jobskills.

Many of the people who did a child-care placement made comments that related to the newness of the Jobskills program at that time as they were involved in the first year of the program. Their most frequent difficulties were with the amount of the time for work and study (16 per cent) and in their level of responsibility. These related to the difficulties of establishing a new program and many of these have now been overcome. Having a relevant job description before people begin their placement is important in establishing clear responsibilities. The study work load associated with the off-the-job training was a problem for some child­care participants, especially for parents when this had to be completed at home.

The most frequent difficulty for people who undertook a clerical placement was inappropriate off-the-job training, while a small number also reported problems with variation in the skill level of the participants. When others in their off-the- job training had either much higher skills or much lower skills, this affected the value of the off-the-job training.

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Selected policy issues for Jobskills and other labour market programs

The remainder of this chapter focuses on a range of policy issues emerging from the findings.

Adoocacy /or participants

The generally positive view of the broker held by most participants and some of the difficulties when this role was held simultaneously with that of employer and/or trainer point strongly to the benefits of the model where someone independent of the employer and trainer acts as an advocate for the participant. The case management proposals contained in Wording Nation should incorporate this advocate role.

Costs o/participating in the program

Over 10 per cent of people complained that they had to purchase things to do their Jobskills placement. This issue requires further clarification. It is important that participants engaged in labour market programs are compensated for any additional costs involved.

One in four people, and half the sole parents, were dissatisfied with the amount that they earned during their Jobskills placement. From discussion during the interviews it was apparent that the main concern was expressed by parents who were supporting children.

It is important to at least maintain the current policy that does not require someone to take a program which would result in them being financially worse off, and to ensure that there is no financial disadvantage associated with participation in a labour market program.

Post-program support

More than three-quarters of participants said that they received no follow up from the CES after they finished their Jobskills placement. It is acknowledged that the CES did not need to make contact with people who were working, in terms of bringing them in for an interview to update their CES records with regard to their skills. However, two out of three people who were looking for work had not been contacted for an interview after they finished their placement.

The study points to a clear need for CES or other appropriate follow-up at the end of the Jobskills program and where the participant is still unemployed for help with job search and other labour market assistance. It is important one person assumes on-going responsibility for post-program support.

Expanding occupational categories and groudA. industries

There is a need to expand the occupational categories of Jobskills placements. The CESAC report (1994) suggests that the Jobskills program should also

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operate in the private sector. Moving JobskiUs into the private sector, if it was appropriately designed and managed, could expand the occupational categories and opportunities for a greater range of unemployed people.

The fact that the child-care sector is growing rapidly at the moment augers well for participants currently completing a child-care placement. In this study many child-care participants gained employment with their JobskiUs employer at the end of their placement. In contrast the opportunities for people who complete an outdoor placement were fairly limited. This area of employment has a low rate of growth and is often seasonal in nature.

Sharman (1993, p.5) makes the point that:

The areas with the highest proportions of JobskiUs participants, Clerical and Outdoors, were also those with the lowest projected employment growth, (15.2 per cent and 8.3 per cent respectively) relative to other occupations. The areas with the lowest proportions of JobskiUs participants, Professional, Human Services and Trades, had the highest relative projected employment growth (33 per cent, 24 per cent and 21.2 per cent respectively.) This may be due to the difficulty of placing unskiUed or semi-skiUed long term unemployed chents into the higher skUled occupations where growth is expected.

Expanding occupational categories is a key issue to be addressed for the JobskiUs program, which should be concentrated in occupational areas which are experiencing employment growth or those with a large employment base and high turnover. Research needs to be undertaken to identify appropriate industries and occupations for labour market programs such as JobskiUs at the national level and research is also needed at a regional level.

This study demonstrates that whUe some participants (child-care) obtained a higher rate of employment outcome their work was less permanent and lower paid than others (clerical), who experienced shghtly lower employment rates but appeared to be in more permanent and better paid work. In assessing labour market program outcomes, the quahty (in terms of wage levels, hours and working conditions) of the employment that foUows needs to be monitored.

Barriers to employment

AvaUabUitv of work

Participants believe that the main barrier to their finding work was that there were simply not enough jobs avaUable. Participants recognised the need to improve their own skills, education and work experience to match the needs of the labour market, but overall, they saw the main factor was that there was a lack of jobs. Full employment and the avaUability of employment for those who seek it will continue to be crucial issue at a national policy level.

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Ace and health

One of the disturbing findings of this study is that 60 per cent of people who were interviewed said that they believed that they would have trouble finding a job because employers thought they were too old. Older participants demonstrated that they are willing to gain new skills by participating in a labour market program like Jobskills, but saw themselves as still facing difficulty with employers' attitudes. Educative work is indicated with potential employers to ensure that age discrimination does not inhibit employment prospects.

One in four participants said that their own health or their disability had caused them trouble in finding a job.

Location and transport

During their placement some participants (18 per cent) had trouble travelling to either their place of work or their off-the-job training. It is difficult to argue that participants undertaking a Jobskills placement should have to travel long distances, or pay significant amounts of money for travelling when the Jobskills program makes no allowances for these costs or time.

About one in four people said that where they lived made a difference to their ability to find a job and over 25 per cent of people said that they had difficulty finding a job because they did not have suitable transport.

There has been some suggestion that participants should be re-reimbursed when they are in a remote location (CESAC 1994). Evidence from this study suggests that problems associated with transport relate to people who live within Melbourne, as well as outside Melbourne. Access to labour market programs and completing them successfully relies to some extent on infrastructure. To this extent the transport problems need to be addressed at a broader level as well as through special assistance to the unemployed and low-income people. Improvements in the pub he transport system would provide an added benefit for all people undertaking labour market programs, and would improve their employment opportunities when they have finished their labour market program and are attempting to access the labour market.

Long-term poverty

Inability to afford suitable transport and suitable clothing caused problems for a number of participants. The experience of these participants indicates that the poverty caused by long-term unemployment impedes the ability of some people to gain employment. This is related to the adequacy of income support payments which the Brotherhood has taken up elsewhere.

Lf^/zed Ja6oar mar/zef programs an,d onfeome measures

Criticism about short-term training programs include their diversity. Upon completing a Jobskills placement in one occupational area, some participants

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went on to do another form of training in a different occupational area. It is important that linking up labour market programs involves the development of a plan for the individual job seeker.

This is related to the issue of 'reciprocal obligation' between CES and the job seeker. There is evidence that implementation of reciprocal obligation can involve participants in undertaking a number of labour market programs, which are unrelated to one another, and which will have little value for either the participant or their capacity to access work.

For many participants, Jobskills is a link in a chain of labour market programs that eventually leads to employment. Progression towards successful outcomes for some long-term unemployed people involves them completing a number of labour market programs. It would be appropriate for DEET to devise a broader range of outcome indicators from labour market programs in order to ensure that the value of participation in further labour market programs is recognised.

CA.oosin.g tA.e rigAt employer

It can be difficult to match employer needs with the individual needs of long-term unemployed people. Emphasis needs to be placed on being clear about what a particular employer can offer a Jobskills participant. Potential participants need to be given more choice, and helped to understand what a placement within a particular organisation offers. Brokers need to check the equipment and other characteristics which impinge on a participants' placement. Participants need to consider what work experience they hope to gain from a placement, and the broker should assist the participants to see the benefits of building on their existing skills.

Part-time Jb&sAiiis piacemenis

Some people undertaking the Jobskills program wanted a part-time placement to meet their family commitments. The program should be reviewed to accommodate part-time participants and for organisations who find this a more suitable arrangement, as there are many job opportunities for part-time workers. Consideration should be given to developing greater opportunities for participation in part-time labour market programs which more closely reflected the desired work force participation of some participants and potential employment opportunities in a particular industry. Income support arrangements need to be explored in terms of people in part-time programs needing to rely on a training wage combined with income supplemented through government payments.

.Recognition, o / sAiii tenets

To enhance the value of the Jobskills placement, a formal acknowledgment of the level of skills and knowledge of participants at the end of their placement would be useful. This would help overcome the situation where participants'

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competencies in a relevant occupational category were not recognisable by future employers.

It is commendable that brokers have been given scope to design a placement which enhances the existing competencies of a participant. For example a person with 10 years of experience in bookkeeping and a TAFE certificate in accounting, needs a different placement experience to a person with two short-term training programs in using spreadsheets. Guidelines should be prepared for brokers to use when examining the appropriateness of on-the-job training which employers are intending to present.

This has implications beyond Jobskills and is of particular importance in the emerging area of on-the-job training under the training wage program. As the government is funding the employer subsidies it is its responsibility to ensure the training being provided meets particular competency standards — ideally those set by state or national Industry Training Boards.

There is a need to fit the Jobskills program more fully into the Training Reform Agenda. The training undertaken by participants should be strongly tied to industry-specified competencies and at a recognised Australian Standards Framework level. All off-the-job training should be accredited.

FYexfMe program design and case 7nan,agewen,%

There is a need for greater flexibility in the labour market programs available to long-term unemployed people. With the introduction of case management there is a need to allow case managers to design individual packages of labour market programs that match the needs of the individual long-term unemployed person whom they are attempting to place.

There should be flexibility in the funding for placements to allow for the additional costs associated with placing some people with disabilities. This does not necessarily mean that employers need to be paid more for taking on a disabled person, but that the broker may have to devote more time to ensuring solutions are found to any problems in designing and implementing their placement.

Some participants in this study would have benefited greatly from a more flexible approach to the length of their Jobskills placement. A small number of the more highly qualified participants could have finished their placement in a shorter period of time. Another small group of participants, who had been out of the labour market for a long period of time, required a longer period of time to successfully complete their placement.

jPrfua^e uersas n,o%-/br-pro/i% p%ace?nen.%s

There is a need to acknowledge that the experiences of the Jobskills program to date relate to its implementation within the not-for-profit sector. The experiences of participants who undertake placements within the private sector will require

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Tntproutng Ztues iAroMgA Jo6sAtJJs

investigation. A comparative study may be necessary to investigate the strength and weaknesses of both sectors in labour market program provision, in comparison with the public sector. The development of an accreditation system for broker agencies would assist in benchmarking minimum quality standards.

?%e /nos; G s<3G <27t <2ged Ja6our ntar&e%

The experience of the Jobskills participants confirms much of the existing knowledge about disadvantage in the labour market. Those least likely to get work after their placement included those longest unemployed, those aged over 45 and those with the least formal education.

While there are very high levels of long-term unemployment among certain immigrant and refugee groups (for example the Vietnamese and Lebanese), those with limited English ability were noticeable by their absence among those participating in the Jobskills program. The role of the CES referral system is in need of investigation.

The findings reinforce the challenge to generalist labour market programs to meet the needs of those most disadvantaged in the labour market.

Conclusions

Overall the Jobskills program for the 116 participants interviewed was a valuable experience for most with gains in skills, self-confidence and employment. The general value of the program suggests the appropriateness of continuing Jobskills or similar labour market programs which combine work experience and off-the-job training. The difficulties of a minority of participants with the program suggest various modifications are required to the Jobskills programs, some of which have already been adopted. The barriers for those still seeking paid employment raise also the wider question of the lack of jobs and what our society is willing to accept in terms of poverty and hardship caused by long-term structural unemployment.

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Tntproutngr Ztues iArongA JobsAttts

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