Newly Qualified Workers Project
Project Summary
Between 2001 and 2006, the Australian community services workforce increased by 35.6%, making it one of the fastest growing sectors of employment in the country.
This research project seeks to create knowledge about newly qualified workers' workplace support and development needs across diverse fields and geographical contexts when delivering human services. It will examine factors impacting on job satisfaction and retention, and aims to develop practice models for workforce support and development.
This project has received an Australian Research Council grant and will occur over three years.
Who’s involved?
- School of Social Work and Human Services at the University of Queensland
- Lifeline Community Care Queensland
- Queensland Council of Social Service Inc
Project Aims
- Identify and analyse critical factors influencing job satisfaction and intention to remain in service delivery roles amongst newly qualified workers in the community services sector;
- Engage employers, supervisors and newly qualified workers in identification and analysis of the range of existing workplace support and development approaches available to newly qualified workers across different organisational and geographical contexts;
- Develop and test models of workplace support and development aimed at enhancing job satisfaction and intention to remain in community services work amongst newly qualified workers.
Project Timeline
2010:
- Baseline survey of Newly Qualified Workers
- Analysis and publication of survey data and results
- Undertake focus groups, exploring survey data in Brisbane, Toowoomba and Cairns
- Analysis and publication of focus group findings
- Development and trialing of a model for workplace support and development
- Analysis and publication of trial results
Anticipated project outcomes
Outcomes include increased understanding of, and practical models for, responding to the workplace support and development needs of newly qualified workers in geographically diverse community services organisations.
More Information
If you would like to know more about this project, you can contact Anne Curson (annec@qcoss.org.au) at QCOSS or Karen Healy (k.healy@uq.edu.au) from the University of Queensland.
