AUGUST 2022

Welcome to the latest news from the BSL Social Policy and  Research  Centre (SPARC). 

Topics in this issue include rates of energy stress, support for people with disability who do not  have individual NDIS funding, strengthening the care workforce and reshaping training for a climate-resilient economy. And there is a student seminar about applying social science skills in the world of work.

You can read more about our current work at www.bsl.org.au/research and also browse our policy submissions. 

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PUTTING SOCIAL SCIENCE TO WORK

Friday 9 September 2022, 11.30 pm to 1 pm

How can method and skills gained in studying social sciences be put to use to make change, solve problems and shape the world? This online and in-person event for students in Social Sciences Week 2022 will involve BSL’s Deborah Warr as co-chair and Andrew Thies as a panellist with other practitioners, students and academics reflecting on their work and why they are passionate about social sciences.

This event is part of our partnership with the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. Event co-hosts are Nesam McMillan, Deputy Head of School Partnerships, SSPS, and Stella Koritsas, Head of Research at Scope.

Find out more about Putting social sciences to work

REPORT: WHO EXPERIENCES ENERGY STRESS AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO EASE IT?

Many people in Australia struggle to afford the energy they need. Our study of the scale of the problem found that over the period 2006 to 2020 around one in five households were in energy stress. This has important policy implications in the context of rapidly rising prices and the shift to a decarbonised economy.

Read the report by David Bryant, Emily Porter, Ismo Rama and Damian Sullivan, Power pain: an investigation of energy stress in Australia  (PDF, 1.3 MB)

Listen to the interview of Damian Sullivan on Radio National's Life Matters

REPORT: ACCESS TO SERVICES FOR ADULTS WITHOUT INDIVIDUAL NDIS FUNDING 

Around 1.8 million Australians with disability aged 18–64 years do not have individual NDIS funding. How easy is it for these to find and use the services and support they need to participate in the community? Research involving the Melbourne Disability Institute, Brotherhood of St. Laurence and Baptcare found significant gaps.

Read the Melbourne Disability Institute report by Sue Olney, Amber Mills and Liam Fallon, The Tier 2 tipping point: access to support for working-age Australians without individual NDIS funding (PDF, 1.7 MB) or the executive summary (PDF, 737 KB)

WEBINAR RECORDING: SYSTEMIC CHANGE TO DEVELOP THE HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICE WORKFORCE 

The health care and social assistance sector is Australia’s largest employing industry with the fastest growing workforce, yet faces widely acknowledged challenges. In this webinar, drawing on BSL’s systemic change methodology, panellists considered how to address current and future demands for skilled workers.

BSL’s Joseph Borlagdan and Kira Clarke hosted a panel featuring

• Professor John Buchanan, University of Sydney Business School
• Jodi Schmidt, Human Services Skills Organisation
• Dr Damian Oliver, National Skills Commission

Catch up on the webinar A systemic change approach to developing a modern health and human service workforce

DISCUSSION: SKILLS FOR TRANSITION TO A CLIMATE-RESILIENT ECONOMY

As labour markets are transformed in response to climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, young people face a skills and training system that is not adequately prepared to enable strong educational and employment outcomes. What kinds of system change are needed?

Read the discussion paper by Kira Clarke and David Longley Future-proofing the training system for enabling climate adaptation and mitigation (PDF, 1.4 MB)

​The Brotherhood of St. Laurence (BSL) is a social justice organisation that works to prevent and alleviate poverty across Australia. You are receiving this email as you have previously subscribed to the BSL Research and Policy Centre e-newsletter. To unsubscribe, please click on the link below.