Careers in History

History is often seen as a subject where facts and stories are learned and then used to shape public consciousness. In the Australian education system, debates arise with each iteration of the curriculum about the purpose of teaching history and its role in instilling national pride and awareness. Some argue for a focus on date collection, promoting political ideologies, fostering patriotism, encouraging a national conscience, or highlighting interest groups’ roles. However, history teachers in secondary and tertiary education recognize that the study of history develops essential skills such as critical analysis, communication, and providing context to complex situations.

Despite the value of these skills, history degrees often face criticism for lacking a clear path to employment, leading to less attention from prospective students and parents compared to STEM degrees. History as a discipline involves creating narratives based on sequences of events to inform future actions. It requires strong research skills to access and evaluate different perspectives on events, while being aware of biases. Historians must construct appealing narratives for both general readers and informed critics, shaping future activities based on past experiences.

What are we trying to do?

• Right now, we are demonstrating the employability of history graduates through a desktop study. We want to seek feedback from history teachers to see what resources they would find useful to help promote careers in history.
• Then, we want to track the destinations of history graduates to see what they actually work in.

School Climate and Faith Engagement

In the past 25 years, there has been a growing interest in studying school climate, revealing its significant influence on various aspects of students’ lives, including social, emotional, and academic outcomes. While the relationship between school climate and these outcomes has been well-explored, one aspect that has received less attention is the connection between faith development and a positive school climate.

To address this gap, the present study examines data from more than 25 schools across 10 different countries. The researchers utilize self-reported measures to assess both school climate and faith engagement. The analysis reveals a noteworthy correlation between these two variables, suggesting that school climate and faith engagement may mutually impact each other.

The study’s findings hold important implications, especially for faith-based schools. Understanding the interplay between school climate and faith development could help strengthen both areas within these educational institutions. By fostering a positive school climate, educators may also facilitate and promote students’ faith engagement, and vice versa.

Careers in Local Government

Regions 2030 is the Australian Government’s plan to develop regional areas across five key areas. The ALGA, representing local governments, highlighted workforce challenges such as an aging workforce, declining youth participation, and skills shortages. A 2019 senate inquiry recommended regional development programs and funding, while South Australia faces job vacancies and skills shortages in key sectors. Despite efforts to address the skills gap, challenges persist in the Local Government industry, particularly in regional areas. To tackle the issue in South Australia, this research project aims to establish a toolkit by interviewing key stakeholders and conducting case studies in selected communities. The toolkit will assist individuals interested in local government careers by providing insights into available opportunities.

Self-Managed Teams in Healthcare

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a skills shortage in the Australian healthcare sector, resulting in staff struggles and increased wait times for healthcare services. Existing research in healthcare management has focused on different business model types, with limited comparative studies. The Buurtzorg model, known for its community care focus and empowered work models, faces challenges when applied outside of community care settings due to a lack of appropriate coaching and handling complex cases beyond the team’s expertise.

As the healthcare sector looks for new approaches to provide viability, alternative models like Cooperative and Social Enterprise Models are being considered. The social enterprise model shows promise for expanding product/service offerings, but it is essential to identify elements of the Buurtzorg model that could be retained if altering the business model.

There is a significant gap in existing research related to self-managed work teams within the healthcare industry in Australia. As healthcare is a highly skilled industry, there is a need to examine the way in which self-managed teams operate in this sector to improve recruitment, onboarding, and retention practices. The study aims to assess the applicability of a hybrid Buurtzorg-Social Enterprise model in the Australian healthcare context and its potential to meet unmet consumer needs.

Employee Retention in the Construction Industry

The Australian construction industry is facing a significant skills shortage, impacting its ability to meet demand and the broader economy. As a significant employer, accounting for an average of 9.6% of the total workforce since 2003, skill shortages in the construction sector have far-reaching implications. The industry’s health is closely linked to factors like customers’ disposable income, access to specific skillsets, reasonably priced materials, and government policies at various levels.

To address these challenges, the Australian Government has provided targeted assistance, such as the ‘HomeBuilder’ program, introduced during the COVID-19 lockdowns. However, since the start of 2023, several high-profile construction firms have faced financial difficulties due to increasing raw material costs, rising interest rates impacting consumer finances, and higher labor costs as the competition for skilled workers intensifies.

This research project aims to review the reasons for apprentice attraction and retention in the construction industry. Through surveys and interviews, the study will explore why individuals leave the industry and identify measures to enhance employee retention, ultimately preventing future skills shortages.