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This article traces the development of four narratives of financial assistance for Australian university students – to encourage excellence; to meet public need; to build the stock of human capital; and as universal provision – and their effect on the development of a fifth narrative, centred on the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS). Financial support schemes have been provided by governments, industry, philanthropic and religious groups, or a combination of these. These narratives reflect deep-seated ideas about the meaning and value of education, and the emphasis placed on public or private benefits. This article shows how these narratives have affected access to university and who has attended. It shows the influence of student support schemes in shaping higher education in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the late 20th century, skilled labour migration has become a primary channel for resolving the increased global competition, ageing workforces, and skill shortages facing industrialised countries. Despite this ongoing policy trend, skilled migrants – who are increasingly from non-English speaking backgrounds (NESBs), including Asia – confront barriers to securing employment that is commensurate with their skill levels, which exposes them to an array of social and economic vulnerabilities. This article uses qualitative data to examine post-migration employment disadvantages among an under-researched group of Asian NESB skilled migrants in Australia: Japanese independent professionals. The findings show that their employment disadvantages in the host labour market can be attributed to what is termed here multilateral contextual gaps in skills transfer, rather than simply a lack of competence, knowledge, or work experience. The article concludes by identifying the implications of the study, including policy changes that would help improve the skills utilisation and retention of skilled migrants in Australia, which appear to be hampered by the host country's human capital-based, market-driven skills regimes. These changes are urgent given the imperative for societies such as Australia to revive their economies in the post-pandemic era through higher intakes of skilled migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skilled migration is an important strategy in developed economies seeking to address skills shortages and population ageing. Research on the labour market outcomes of skilled migrants tends to focus on employers' devaluation of skills without considering the role of immigration policy in the migration process. Moreover, there is little understanding of whether efforts to meet employer demands for local qualifications improve labour market outcomes. Drawing on a study on skilled migrants sponsored under the State‐Specific and Regional Migration Scheme in the regional state of South Australia, we explore the shaping of skills and skills recognition in the migration journey, particularly migrants' strategy of reskilling in response to employer demands for local qualifications. Our logistic regressions on the association between the acquisition of Australian qualifications and labour market outcomes reveal only marginal returns to these efforts. We argue that Australia should consider developing a more coherent skilled migration process to better harness the human capital of skilled migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After Australia and Canada adopted policies to admit immigrants of any nationality or race, the racial composition of immigrants did not immediately diversify. It only diversified after their governments adopted points systems to recruit immigrants with the education, language ability, and skills that would increase the national income of the migrant-receiving country. Why? I draw on archival documents to reveal how the organization of consular institutions and practices of bureaucrats limited how much immigrant sources diversified. However, the more human capital-rich people in White-majority countries lost interest in immigrating and the more non-White people in migrant-sending societies increased their human capital, the more frequently bureaucrats became amenable to admitting more racially diverse immigrants who could contribute more to national income and productivity than human capital-poor White immigrants. This emerging preference later stimulated the Immigration Departments to geographically expand their organizational infrastructure to facilitate further non-White immigration. This study illustrates how scholars through a more intersectional lens can better potentially understand changes in institutions and norms along one dimension of identity (race) due to policies to admit a minority of non-White immigrants along another dimension (human capital). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social and financial remittances from the Australian Seasonal Worker Programme (SWP) have transformed the livelihood capabilities of participating households from Timor-Leste. Timorese workers generally participate in SWP for a six-month period, with many returning for subsequent seasons. Qualitative, multi-sited research investigated the livelihood strategies of 50 Timorese worker households over a three-year period. Their net earnings averaged between 4000 and 8000 USD per season, varying with the type of employment, living costs and their ability to save. Remittances assist in strengthening livelihoods by consolidating financial, physical, social, natural and human capital, improving the quality of life for returning workers, their households and communities. Remittances maintain and consolidate social relationships, and enable investments in entrepreneurial activities, education and house building. Migrant workers exhibited a strong preference for developing social capital, with many investments in other livelihood assets underpinned by a desire to strengthen social relationships, reflecting beliefs that this enhances livelihood resilience. While remittances have made greater direct contributions to livelihoods than economic production within Timor-Leste, at least for participating households and their immediate networks, this expenditure on social capital also suggests the broader structural limitations of using remittances in a 'productive' way (through capital accumulation) within labour-sending countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protection of biodiversity, human assets, and cultural heritage pose significant challenges to contemporary planning of bushfire mitigation activities. Current mitigation approaches are not always appropriate, and mismanagement is a source of distress for Indigenous peoples. Increased understanding of Indigenous fire knowledge and increased Indigenous participation may provide insight into more appropriate and inclusive land management for fire mitigation. We analysed contemporary Noongar and Western fire practitioner approaches within an Indigenous fire knowledge (IFK) framework to explore knowledge and aspirations for small reserves in the Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SWAFR) global biodiversity hotspot. We recorded an extensive knowledge base, characterised by a highly nuanced approach to burning, held by the Noongar coauthors. We explore potential approaches to applying this knowledge to build collaborative fire mitigation strategies with mutually beneficial outcomes for biodiversity, cultural heritage, and human assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines how Australian academic librarians perceived effective techniques used to market their electronic resources and the factors influencing their perceptions of the used particular techniques. Descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential (ordinal regressions) statistics were used to analyze the collected data from an online survey. The results reveal that demographics, human capital and library variables play an important and significant role in predicting librarians' perceptions of effective techniques used to market electronic resources. The findings are useful for information professionals to reflect on the effectiveness of the techniques used, to balance the weight of the factors' influences, and to better understand various effective techniques to enable them to market electronic resources more effectively in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to debates that shaped a special issue of Discourse in 2017 by taking the debate about responsibilisation in education into the realm of Foundations Skills in Australia. The difficulties that many Australian adults experience with low levels of language, literacy and numeracy skills (Foundation Skills), have been widely identified. It has been claimed that almost half of Australia's working age population have Foundation Skills at levels that do not allow them to meet the complex demands of work and life. The paper describes the Foundation Skills policy apparatus that has developed in Australia, and discusses how the sector is characterised by aspects of marketisation and commodification. We argue that the Foundation Skills learner is imagined as an individual, choice making, responsible consumer and increasingly made responsible for carrying the burden of the development of their 'human capital' so that they can secure a less parlous participation in precarious labour markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how the 'ideal' refugee is conceptualized in discussions about Australia's humanitarian policies. Critical Discourse Analysis of semi-structured interviews with 24 Western Australians revealed strong themes of assimilation alongside the neoliberal concept of 'market citizenship', where the 'ideal' refugee is positioned as achieving economic success through contributions to Australia's labour market. These discourses served competing ends—they were voiced both in support of, and opposition to, Australia's acceptance of refugees. I argue that by constructing refugees' deservingness of protection along market citizenship lines, their belonging becomes contingent upon their adherence to a narrowly defined ideal. Consequently, refugees who do not fit within this ideal face continued exclusion, with their 'human capital' prioritized over their safety and human rights. This article calls for a reconsideration of arguments that focus on refugees' capacity to 'fit in' and 'give back' as these narratives may exacerbate their experiences of exclusion and stigmatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the migration flows of university‐qualified labour (UQL) between cities and hinterland regions in the sparsely populated north of both Australia and Sweden. These peripheries have become increasingly urbanised in recent decades and have received substantial investment in urban higher education hubs that are expected to generate skills for their regions. Whether these skills remain within the few urban centres or are redistributed internally to benefit rural and remote locations is not known. The article identifies the extent to which there have been urban–rural 'spillover' or 'sponge' effects in UQL migration flows within the north and establishes whether there has been a 'disconnect' in the regional exchange of UQL. Drawing on recent Australian census and Swedish register data, the results suggest that 'spillover' and 'sponging' of UQL have been limited, particularly in Northern Australia where cities appeared quite disconnected from their hinterlands. Spillover was more common in Northern Sweden, but cities with universities targeting regional skill needs did not necessarily generate more net‐migration gains for their hinterland. The discussion illustrates why urban–rural human capital relationships in northern peripheries may be more diverse and complex than assumed and flags what policy lessons can be drawn from comparing different northern peripheries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the labour market and human capital investment behaviour of immigrant couples in Australia. The family investment hypothesis (FIH) states that immigrant husbands, whom the FIH assumes to be the primary earners in the family, will invest more in their human capital than immigrant wives, whom the FIH assumes to be secondary earners. Using longitudinal data from Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) for the period 2001 to 2014, we do not find support for the FIH. Instead, we find that foreign‐born husbands and wives share similar labour market assimilation patterns with respect to hours of work and wages. Our estimates suggest that immigrant wives' labour market behaviour can be better explained by their own long‐term career progression and labour market assimilation, than through supporting their husbands' labour market assimilation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Australian research on volunteering is rich and diverse, but also increasingly fragmented. In an attempt to promote a more integrated study of volunteering, we review volunteering research conducted in Australia, using volunteering journey as a framework. Specifically, we summarise literature on volunteer characteristics, motivations, benefits, psychological contract, commitment, and withdrawal. Method: A comprehensive review yielded 152 studies on volunteering conducted in Australia. Results: We find that volunteers have distinct characteristics, such as being older, better connected, employed, and residing in rural areas. There are a variety of reasons that prompt individuals to volunteer, and this motivation does change over time. Volunteering leads to better psychological well‐being, as well as increases in social and human capital. Volunteer expectations and commitment are key drivers of ongoing volunteering. Finally, stress, work–family conflict, and negative interactions with others lead to volunteer withdrawal. Conclusion: A lot is known about volunteering, however, future advancement of the field will depend on better integration across disciplines and domains. Currently, volunteering is viewed as a set of distinct stages, and a more integrated approach is required. We also note a lack of theoretical and methodological rigour in many Australian studies on volunteering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decent work as a tool to stimulate economic growth is one of the sustainable development goals (SDGs) that sets by the United Nations. Taking into account that the non-standard employment is increasingly popular, the interest of the workers in this employment class must be equally protected. In the context of either employment law or human resource dimension, non-standard employment is not at all new because the issue has been commonly debated in many literatures since 1980s. Among the key features of non-standard employment are specified duration of service, non-permanent or temporary position, part-time or full-time status of job and flexible work arrangement. The scenario in Australia has shown that in parallel to the rapid popularity of non-standard employment, their labour law regimes also have been through all the necessary changes so that the laws adequately addressed the needs of these segments of workers. This article aims at reviewing the transformation of Australian labour law in general and at the same time, exploring some legal issues that have been debated for the interest of the non-standard workers. The author examines the framework of labor law ranging from 1990s to date by reviewing existing literature. In addition, the development of non-standard workers in Australia job industry will be looked into. Finally, the author outlines some aspects throughout the process of transformation of the Australian employment law that can be carefully considered and learned in our process of transforming the Malaysian employment law into a better set of law in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the impact of a major life event–death–on the physical, psychological and social well-being of the deceased’s close friends. We utilised data from a large longitudinal survey covering a period of 14 years (2002–2015) consisting a cohort of 26,515 individuals in Australia, of whom 9,586 had experienced the death of at least one close friend. This longitudinal cohort dataset comprises responses to the SF-36 (health related quality of life measure) and allowed for analysis of the short and longer-term impacts of bereavement. In order to manage the heterogeneity of the socio-demographics of respondents who did/not experience a death event, we use a new and robust approach known as the Entropy Balancing method to construct a set of weights applied to the bereaved group and the control group (the group that did not experience death). This approach enables us to match the two groups so that the distribution of socio-demographic variables between the two groups are balanced. These variables included gender, age, marital status, ethnicity, personality traits, religion, relative socio-economic disadvantage, economic resources, and education and occupation and where they resided. The data show, for the first time, a range of negative and enduring consequences experienced by people following the death of a close friend. Significant adverse physical and psychological well-being, poorer mental health and social functioning occur up to four years following bereavement. Bereaved females experienced a sharper fall in vitality, suffered greater deterioration in mental health, impaired emotional and social functioning than the male counterparts up to four years after the death. The data show that the level of social connectedness plays an important role in bereavement outcomes. Specifically, we found that less socially active respondents experienced a longer deterioration in physical and psychological health. Finally, we found evidence that the death of a close friend lowered the respondent’s satisfaction with their health. Since death of friends is a universal phenomenon, we conclude the paper by reflecting on the need to recognise the death of a close friend as a substantial experience, and to offer support and services to address this disenfranchised grief. Recognising bereaved friends as a group experiencing adverse outcomes can be used internationally to prompt health and psychological services to assist this specific group, noting that there may be substantial longevity to the negative sequelae of the death of a friend. Facilitating bereaved people’s support networks may be a fruitful approach to minimising these negative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the findings of an in-depth genealogical study of the discourse of quality in Australian Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) policy. Quality reform has become the foremost global policy agenda for ECEC due to assumptions about the economic potentials of quality services. In Australia, the recent National Quality Framework elevated early childhood policy in Australia from the margins as the lynchpin of a broader economic reform agenda. However, quality ECEC - what it is and does - is a complex, contestable notion that could be considered problematic for the sector to execute, particularly through market models of provision. Drawing on Foucauldian notions of discourse as the ‘already said’, the truth assumptions that have underpinned policy uses of quality ECEC in Australia are identified and critiqued. It is shown that the discourse of quality has been tactically deployed in Australian ECEC policy to realign quality ECEC outcomes with educative outcomes, as a means for government to selectively grow and govern human capital. This positions quality as a high-stakes reform discourse for early childhood stakeholders, entwined with the expanded reach and intensification of selective, performance-related standards and incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the perceptions of academic human capital (HC) towards a university’s research performance measurement system (PMS), in response to a national research assessment exercise (RAE).Design/methodology/approach This paper draws on a subset of the data from a large mixed method case study research project about the impact of ERA on an Australian public sector university.Findings The findings reveal that the research PMSs were designed, implemented and used as a tool to measure and manage the research performance of HC within the university. The case study university performed well in the RAE. However, this also led to several unintended consequences in the form of fear and anxiety, gaming and strategic initiatives, a focus on quantity and not the quality of research, and increased workload, which led to a loss in the stock of HC.Practical implications This empirical evidence can inform governments and policy makers of the unintended consequences of government research evaluations on academic HC. University managers could improve the design of HC management systems by not only measuring academic HC performance, but also providing training and resources to enhance, support and maintain the overall well-being of academics.Originality/value This study provides insights regarding the connection between a university’s PMS and academic HC and contributes to the academic literature on intellectual capital and PMSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Public safety organisations across the world invest a great deal of time and money in developing their leaders. It is perhaps surprising, then, that there is relatively little literature assessing the impact that such development opportunities have. This paper serves to address this gap by examining one such leader development programme in Australia. Seventy participants were followed for one year, and statistically significant shifts in self-reported leadership behaviour were identified. Interviews with an additional 30 former students suggested that such behavioural changes were preserved over the longer term, and may compound as individuals utilise both their formal learning and on the job experience to enhance their leadership effectiveness. This suggests that for a relatively modest upfront investment in human capital, considerable organisational gains are possible. The extent to which such gains are measurable or can be characterised in monetary terms is discussed, ahead of a conclusion that sets out an agenda for future research to better understand how leadership and its development are conceptualised, operationalised, and realised in public safety agencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Australia attracts international nursing students from China to maintain its economic advantage and to alleviate the projected nursing shortage; conversely, China needs its best and brightest citizens who have trained abroad in nursing to return to cope with current challenges within its healthcare system and nursing education. This paper explores whether China can lure its foreign-trained nurses home to achieve its goals; whether China or Australia will win the nursing talent war; and do Chinese nursing students want to remain abroad or return home. The insight gained can support the development of successful human capital investment for all parties involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

IN THIS ARTICLE WE use feminist post-structuralist concepts of discourse and relations of power to question how a neoliberal regime of truth in Australian early childhood education impacts educators currently working for gender equity with children, prior to their entry to schooling. We show how this regime of truth is endorsed and transferred in and by key documents of the Australian National Quality Framework (NQF) including the National Quality Standard (NQS) and the Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) in which discourses of universal rights, individual freedom and choice, and human capital dominate approaches to inclusion and diversity that govern gender equity work (ACECQA, 2011, 2017a, 2017b; DEEWR, 2009; NSW Education, 2016). Our article addresses how some educators use their understandings of feminism to negotiate spaces for gender equity work within the theoretical, political and ethical tensions arising in/between discourses that constitute this neoliberal regime of truth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper empirically documents media portrayals of Australia’s performance on the Program for the International Student Assessment (PISA), 2000–2014. We analyse newspaper articles from two national and eight metropolitan newspapers. This analysis demonstrates increased media coverage of PISA over the period in question. Our research data were analysed using ‘framing theory’, documenting how the media frames stories about Australia’s performance on PISA. Three frames were identified: counts and comparisons; criticisms; and contexts. Most of the media coverage (41%) was concerned with the first frame, counts and comparisons, which analysed PISA data to provide ‘evidence’ that was then used to comparatively position Australia against other countries, reference societies, which do better, with particular emphasis on Finland and also Shanghai after the 2009 PISA. The other two frames dealt with criticisms and contextual issues. This paper only focuses on the first frame. The analysis demonstrates the ways in which media coverage of Australia’s PISA performance has had policy impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this article is to find out why immigrants intend to stay in or leave their initial destination. The insight into such factors could help develop policy measures to deal with potential out-migration, especially from the regions that view international migration as a solution to their demographic and economic difficulties. The study uses multinomial logistic regression to estimate the strength of association between migrants' intention to move and immigration category, human capital, economic and social factors. The data come from the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia. The findings show that different groups of migrants have different propensities to move or stay in their initial destination. Employer-sponsored migrants are even less likely to intend to relocate than family class. Highly educated and skilled migrants tend to be more likely to express the intention to move or have doubts. Satisfactory employment has a positive impact on retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Age heaping (the inflated frequency of life ages ending in the digits of 0 and 5) is evident when compiling the nominated ages at death of Punjabi hawkers in Australia. In the literature, age heaping has been widely used as a measure of literacy and numeracy of a source community, and by extension as a proxy for that community's human capital. This paper examines the nature and causes of age heaping in the Punjab and in India in general. Drawing on late nineteenth and early twentieth century census data, it can be demonstrated that the postulated nexus between age heaping and literacy and numeracy is entirely spurious. Rather, census collection and reporting methodologies are to blame for the observed age heaping bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Risk exposures and predictions of child development outcomes typically estimate the independent effects of individual exposures. As a rule though, children are not exposed piecemeal to individual or single risks but, rather, they are exposed to clusters of risk. Many of these clusters of risks are better thought of as comprising a developmental “circumstance” with a substantial duration, over which period, additional risk exposures also accumulate. In this paper we examined the distribution of 16 single risk exposures for low language ability using latent class analysis across a sample of approximately 4000 children from the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. The best fitting model identified six distinct classes. 46% of children were in a Developmentally Enabled group, 20% were in a group typified as Working Poor families, 10% of children were in group typified as Overwhelmed group, 9% of children were in a group defined by Child Developmental Delay, 8% of children were in a group defined by Low Human Capital, and 7% of children were in a group defined by Resource Poor non-English Speaking background families. These groups had quantitatively and qualitatively distinct patterns of risk factors and showed different onward trajectories of receptive vocabulary. Our results demonstrate a range of multiple risk profiles in a population-representative sample of Australian children and highlight the mix of risk factors faced by children. Children with distinct patterns of risk factors have different onward trajectories of receptive vocabulary development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skilled migration programs are now widespread among western settler societies, but little is known about the recent outcomes of skilled migrants. Using a feminist framework and qualitative interviews of 22 migrants, this article sheds light on the job-seeking experiences of professional skilled migrants in Australia, who are from non-English speaking backgrounds. The article reveals that many are unable to find commensurate employment post-arrival. They experience downward occupational mobility; that is they find jobs that are lower in skill level compared to the job held pre-migration. The range of job-seeking strategies is examined to determine whether migrants can improve occupational outcomes, revealing differences between the mobility of women and men. Job-seeking for women is more complex due to the gendering effects of family responsibility, making their job search more difficult. The research further highlights the underutilisation of human capital, which is in need of addressing for skilled migrants, and the wider economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To estimate the productivity costs of premature mortality due to cancer in Australia, in aggregate and for the 26 most prevalent cancer sites. Methods: A human capital approach was adopted to estimate the long term impacts of Australian cancer deaths in 2003. Using population mortality data, the labour force participation and the present value of lifetime income (PVLI) forgone due to premature mortality was estimated based on individual characteristics at the time of death including age, sex and socioeconomic status. Outcomes were modelled to the year 2030 using economic data from a national microsimulation model. A discount rate of 3% was applied and costs were reported in 2016 Australian dollars. Results: Premature deaths from cancer in 2003 resulted in 88,000 working years lost and a cost of $4.2 billion in the PVLI forgone. Costs were close to three times higher in males than females due to the higher number of premature deaths in men, combined with higher levels of workforce participation and income. Lung, colorectal and brain cancers accounted for the highest proportion of costs, while testicular cancer was the most costly cancer site per death. Conclusions: The productivity costs of premature mortality due to cancer are significant. These results provide an economic measure of the cancer burden which may assist decision makers in allocating scare resources amongst competing priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nations across the world and through time have used skilled migration mechanisms to boost economic growth and workforce competitiveness. However, effectively using these talents from abroad and transforming this collective human capital into valuable social capital is an on-going challenge. This study applies a case study analysis of skilled migrants from China and India in South Australia and finds that there are multiple barriers to the successful integration of skilled migrants. These barriers tend to block the effective utilization of migrants' skills and reduce the ability to advance social capital in the community. The study concludes by putting forward various policy recommendations to overcome these obstacles and outlines ideas for an effective application of a skilled migrant programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article argues that entrepreneurship is central to the mind of the arts manager in building capability and creating value. Its focus is upon the arts sector in Western Australia (WA) and how it sustains its artistic vibrancy through entrepreneurial management. Western Australia is the largest landmass in Australia and its capital, Perth, is one of the most isolated cities in the world. Known mainly for its mining industry, Western Australia is the home of considerable corporate wealth. However, it also hosts a vibrant arts scene. This article examines arts companies in Western Australia in an effort to identify entrepreneurial orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article uses the database created by the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project (www.ucl.ac.uk/lbs) which documents the recipients of the twenty million pounds paid in compensation to the slave-owners at the time of abolition, as a starting point from which to explore some of the implications of the flow of human and financial capital to Australia in the 1830s and 1840s. Once the Caribbean was no longer a place to make a fortune, descendants of slave-owners chose this new colony of white settlement as the next frontier of empire. Colonial officials, sheep farmers and writers were amongst those who attempted to make a new life, carrying with them attitudes to racial difference which inflected their understanding of Aboriginal peoples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-skilled migration across international borders is becoming increasingly important in policy and academic debates. In Australia, the recognition of the importance of attracting and retaining highly skilled individuals has stimulated fundamental shifts in immigration policies. This paper explores the impacts of one of these policy shifts in focusing on the introduction of a graduate visa scheme. The scheme was introduced in Australia for the first time in September 2007 offering international graduates from Australian universities 18 months of working rights post-graduation. Since the implementation of this visa scheme there has been a sharp increase in the number of overseas graduates staying in Australia. However, no research has been carried out that investigates the working conditions and interregional migration patterns of these graduates remaining in Australia under this temporary 18 months visa. Through the exploration of individual survey data describing the 2005 and 2008 cohorts of graduates representing the ‘before’ and ‘after’ the graduate visa scheme introduction this paper explores the impact of the visa scheme through analysing and comparing the working conditions and migration patterns of two cohorts of graduates. Findings suggest that although the introduction of the graduate visa scheme attracted more international students/graduates into the country, our analysis highlighted that the average working conditions of the international graduates who decided to remain in Australia worsened. Comparing these results with their domestic (Australian) graduate counterparts revealed that this was not due to the overall state of the Australian economy over the period under consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to better understand the factors that affect the chances of re-engaging early school leavers in education, with a particular focus on the importance of time out from school (duration dependence) and school-related factors. Using data from three cohorts of the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth and duration models that control for unobserved heterogeneity, our results suggest that programmes that encourage an early return to study and those that develop post-school career plans may be more effective than programmes that concentrate on improving numeracy and literacy scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to tackle persistent labour and skill shortages, a number of developed countries have implemented visa programmes and development plans to enhance the attraction and retention of domestically educated overseas graduates. While prior work has principally focused on exploring their migratory flows between countries, few studies have empirically examined the career and migration trajectories of overseas graduates within the country of study. This paper redresses this gap by investigating the spatial choices of overseas graduates from Australian Higher Education Institutions for employment after graduation. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of graduates, our analysis focuses on examining the individual characteristics that lead to the settlement of overseas graduates in non-metropolitan locations across Australia given the pronounced labour and skill shortages experienced outside the country's urban centres. Results highlight the importance of possessing education or health qualifications and having previously studied and lived in non-metropolitan areas as the key factors underlying the selection of such locales as post-graduation employment destinations. Age, gender, salary, and an English-speaking background were not found to be significant factors in the decision to locate outside of metropolitan areas. These findings are of significant value for future policy development aimed at attracting and retaining overseas graduates to locales with the greatest labour needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Selective migration policies are proliferating worldwide as governments try to attract scientists, highly skilled engineers, medical professionals and information technology professionals. Selective migration policies can be grouped into three ideal-typical models: the Canadian 'human capital' model based on state selection of permanent immigrants using a point system; the Australian 'neo-corporatist' model based on state selection using a point system with extensive business and labour participation; and the market-oriented, demand-driven model based primarily on employer selection of migrants, as practised by the US. After providing an overview of each model, the article compares the three models in terms of policy outcomes as measured by various metrics and then explains how Canadian, Australian, and US governments have recently adopted policies from one another and deviated from their respective selective migration policy models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use the Longitudinal Survey of Immigrants to Australia, 2005–2006, to examine the housing tenure experience of skilled immigrants to Australia 6 and 18 months after arrival for relationships with ethnic capital (cultural background), visa category streams, aspects of human capital, demographics, social capital and discrimination. Homeownership experience is used to indicate integration into Australia's dominantly middle-class society. Multinomial regression analysis identifies visa entry category as the most important independent group of variables accounting for immigrants' short-term dwelling tenure, followed by aspects of human capital, family status, and the importance of ethnic capital for immigrants of both English-speaking and non-English-speaking backgrounds, and discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article assesses the economic role of refugee settlers in Australia. Refugee-humanitarian labour force participation rates are lower than for other migrant groups or the Australia-born. However, their labour market performance converges toward that of the Australia-born over time. Moreover, the second generation performs at a higher level. There are a number of significant impediments to participation including language, education, structural disadvantage and discrimination. Indeed, there is evidence of a significant refugee gap which can only be explained by discrimination. It is shown that refugees represent a significant stock of human capital that is not being fully realized. They suffer more than other groups through non-recognition and there is substantial "brain waste" with negative results for the economy and the migrants themselves. Finally, it is shown that refugee-humanitarian settlers show greater propensity to form their own business than other migrants and that risk-taking, entrepreneurialism and an ability to identify and take advantage of opportunities is a key characteristic of the group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Falls in Australian student achievement have been widespread across the population. [•] Mathematical literacy fell at the top of the distribution, reading throughout it. [•] Declines in associated school performance were most marked in private schools. [•] These declines were not associated with other observed school characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Governments increasingly seek to implement skilled migration programmes. Yet, the policies that ultimately result differ in important ways, particularly with regard to the human capital assets required of applicants. These differences in policy outputs can be attributed to important variations in the policy-making process, in particular in the extent of bureaucratic control over policy-making, and in the capacity for venue shopping on the part of internal and external actors. This article develops ideas around bureaucratic control and how it interacts with venue shopping in two Westminster-inspired systems of government in the skilled immigration area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper asks to what extent host language proficiency can insure immigrants against the risk of ending up in mismatched jobs. Using the 2003-2016 waves of the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA), the paper discriminates between three forms of mismatch, overqualification, underqualification and overskilling. Host language proficiency is instrumented using Bleakley and Chin (Rev Econ Stat 86:481–496, 2004) strategy, which exploits the fact that younger children learn languages more easily than older ones. To differentiate between local average treatment effects (LATE) and average treatment effects (ATE), the paper considers two alternative models, 2SLS instrumental variables and biprobit. We find that treatment effects are heterogeneous. English language proficiency among immigrants in Australia reduces the probability of ending up in overqualified jobs, by between 17.2 (LATE) and 36.7 (ATE) percentage points. The ATE of overskilling is also significant and about -8.9 percentage points. In contrast, language skills tend to raise the probability of being underqualified at the job, by approximately 8.6 percentage points according to the ATE. Local effects of overskilling and underqualification fail to be statistically significant, suggesting that host language proficiency may be innocuous for some workers. Overall, the results indicate that host language proficiency is a country-specific, valuable form of human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2007, the Australian federal government introduced a ‘new’ graduate visa scheme, the 485 visa sub-class. This visa facilitates the transition from student to worker for overseas graduates from Australian higher education institutions, with the potential to significantly increase their numbers in the country. At the same time, local governments have introduced various policies designed to attract and retain human capital in rural areas to address the shortfall of highly skilled individuals. This paper redresses the current lack of research into the spatial dynamics of overseas human capital in Australia and their relation to the new visa scheme in combination with shifts in rural development policies. Drawing on survey data of graduates describing the ‘before’ (2005) and ‘after’ (2008) periods of the introduction of the 485 visa scheme, this paper shows that the propensity of overseas graduates to move between Australia's regions has increased substantially. In particular, there have been an increasing proportion of overseas graduates moving to major cities despite rural development policy efforts to attract human capital to rural areas. However, these policy efforts appear to have attracted overseas graduates with particular qualifications (education and health) to work in such locales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides a critical discussion of contemporary policy agendas to raise aspirations for university study among students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds. It traces the politics of aspiration from the working class ‘poverty of desire’ thesis propounded by British socialists at the turn of the twentieth century to recent concerns about the educational aspirations of low SES groups. These concerns are manifest in the current aspiration-raising agenda in Australian higher education, which aims to realise equity objectives by cultivating market-rational behaviour and dispositions to maximise self-investment in human capital. However, changes in contemporary global education and labour markets present significant obstacles to the ‘good life’ promises made by advocates of human capital theory, and even when these promises are realised, deficit constructions of aspirations persist. The paper identifies a tension in aspiration-raising logics between (1) human capital promises of economic rewards for enterprising behaviour and (2) the policing of aspirations and associated behaviours according to dominant social values. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The conjunction of equity and market logics in contemporary education has created new and different conditions of possibility for equity, both as conceived in policy discourses and as a related set of educational practices. In this editorial introduction, we examine how equity is being drawn into new policy assemblages and how, in the context of marketisation, equity is evolving and being enacted in new ways across education sectors. Different conceptions of equity are considered, including the increasingly influential human capital perspective promoted by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). We argue that, separate from critiques of neoliberalism and its deleterious effects on equity in education, it is necessary to analyse carefully the increasing rationalisation of equity agendas in economic terms, the associated effects on education governance and policy-making, as well as on the work of educational institutions and educators. Providing an overview of the contributions to this Special Issue, we direct particular attention to the multiple, complex and often contradictory effects of the current education reform agenda in Australia, which has prioritised equity objectives and intensified performance measurement, comparison and accountability as means to drive educational improvement and reduce disadvantage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the intellectual capital (IC) performance of the Australian Financial Sector for the period 2006-2008. It also aims to examine the relationship amongst various constituents of IC performance and the relationship between IC performance and the financial performance of the financial sector. Design/methodology/approach – The value added intellectual coefficient (VAICe) approach developed by Pulic is used to determine the IC performance of the Australian financial sector. The required data to calculate different constituents of IC were obtained from the annual reports of Australian banks. Findings – The paper reveals that VAIC has a significant relation with human costs and the value addition made by the Australian banks. All Australian-owned banks have relatively higher human capital efficiency than capital employed efficiency and structural capital efficiency. The size of the bank in terms of total assets, total number of employees and total shareholders' equity has little or no impact on the IC performance of the Australian-owned banks. Research limitations/implications – The paper analyses IC performance of only 11 Australian-owned banks. However, the more than 90 per cent market share enjoyed by these banks still promises a degree of validation of the results of the paper from the Australian perspective or similar banking structure in some countries. Practical implications – The findings may serve as a useful input for financial institutions to apply knowledge management in their institutions and in addressing the factors affecting IC performance in order to maximise their value creation. The findings of the study would also provide some information to the stakeholders and potential investors to assess the value creation capabilities of financial sector companies. Originality/value – This is the first paper that examines the relationship of VAICe and the size of the firms for Australian-owned banks in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

THE EARLY YEARS OF CHILDHOD are critical for the successful development of adult literacy, whatever that literacy might look or feel like in the oncoming digital age. Two questions that become important are what sort of literacy (or literacies) will children need in the future to navigate new information pathways, and how can we use recent advances in neuroscience to help us understand optimal pathways for developing the fundamentally social skills of literacy. This paper reviews recent research from the two traditionally separate areas of contemporary literacies and infant brain development to re-examine the underpinnings of literacy learning in the early years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on the findings from in-depth interviews with Vietnamese international students studying at Australian universities, this article presents insights into the sociological influences that stem from international students' social networks, at home and abroad, and how they impact on students' aspirations and engagement in international education. Underpinned by Bourdieu's social capital framework, this article critically challenges human capital ideology for its assumptions of individualism and utilitarian function of education as economic goals. The implication for international education providers is to create learning and living opportunities that consider students' social and cultural conditions so as to develop their capacity, self-determination and citizenship. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Drawing upon human capital theory, this article examines the labour market experiences of Korean migrant women in Australia. Narrative analysis reveals that Korean migrant women experience post-entry barriers in the Australian labour market. These barriers are not only attributable to their English language skills but also to their cultural background and personal orientations' aspirations. This article finds that migrants whose language, cultural and personal orientation and academic qualifications are similar to those of the dominant culture tend to feel less disadvantaged in the labour market. The narrative analysis allows Korean migrant women to describe symbolically in their own words their labour market experiences and the decisions, factors and emotions that constitute their experiences. The findings reinforce an increasing call for incorporating the cultural and personal aspects of human capital (beyond linguistic proficiency) into an understanding of the post-entry labour market experiences of migrant workers in their adopted country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This study investigates the incidence of over-education amongst recent Australian bachelor degree graduates and its effect on their earnings. We find that between 24% and 37% of graduates were over-educated shortly after course completion, with over-education most common amongst young females and least common amongst older females. Over-education rates vary markedly across major fields of study and appear to be associated with the relative demand for graduate labour. Overeducation was less common three years after course completion; however a nontrivial proportion of graduates remain over-educated. With regard to the effect of over-education on earnings, we find a notable age-related effect not reported in earlier studies. Young over-educated graduates were not penalised after unobserved heterogeneity had been addressed, whereas older over-educated graduates were at an earnings disadvantage relative to their well-matched peers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The intensity of provision of transnational education (TNE) in the Asian region by Australian universities has been increasing over the past three decades. Although much is claimed, little is actually known about the outcomes and opinions of students enrolled in TNE programs. This article investigates student experiences through the longitudinal extension of an ethnographic study of one TNE program in Singapore. Student motivations, career paths, and adaptations are considered in the context of “second chance” and lifelong learning in Singapore. Analysis reveals something of a good news story in the face of much negativity about transnational education at the current time. The study reveals that TNE students are achieving high-level positional outcomes and developing transformative learning habits. Recommendations are made for the use of global comparative studies in TNE programs to facilitate mutual learning through respect for local knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past five decades, the nature and role of the Australian HR function has changed dramatically, mirroring developments in the United States and in Britain.The most significant change for the HR profession has been the shift from a reactive to a strategic focus. While the strategic importance of HR has increasingly been recognised, challenges remain. Within the discussion of the strategic trajectory of the HR function we analyse changes to the HR role over the last five decades. We also provide an update on perceptions of the HR function using comments from interviews with both senior HR practitioners and top management team executives about how the HR function currently gains influence to perform its strategic role within Australian organisations. We conclude with a discussion of directions for the Australian HR professional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Australian government as part of its aid programme allocates large funds to improve financial inclusion in developing countries. However, this does not take into account low educational levels in these countries. The existing literature on financial inclusion also treats the issue as mainly supply-centric and does not take cognisance of the fact that poor human development and high illiteracy levels in developing economies may prevent a large section of the population from benefitting from financial inclusion efforts, because of low awareness and comprehension of the financial services available. This study uses a detailed three-stage methodological approach to examine the relationship between financial development and human capital in 21 countries of developing Asia. The results show that a significant negative relationship exists between financial development proxied by M2/gdp and pupil:teacher ratios and a strong positive relationship exists between physical access to banks and expected years of schooling. Further, our financial development and educational development indices also show no clear pattern in the selected countries' financial and educational development. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Calls for disaster medical assistance teams (DMATs) are likely to continue in response to international disasters. As part of a national survey, this study was designed to evaluate Australian DMAT experience in relation to the human resources issues associated with deployment. Methods: Data was collected via an anonymous mailed survey distributed via State and Territory representatives on the Australian Health Protection Committee, who identified team members associated with Australian DMAT deployments from the 2004 South East Asian Tsunami disaster. Results: The response rate for this survey was 50% (59/118). Most personnel had deployed to the Asian Tsunami affected areas with DMAT members having significant clinical and international experience. While all except one respondent stated they received a full orientation prior to deployment, only 34% of respondents (20/59) felt their role was clearly defined pre deployment. Approximately 56% (33/59) felt their actual role matched their intended role and that their clinical background was well suited to their tasks. Most respondents were prepared to be available for deployment for 1 month (34%, 20/59). The most common period of notice needed to deploy was 6–12 hours for 29% (17/59) followed by 12–24 hours for 24% (14/59). The preferred period of overseas deployment was 14–21 days (46%, 27/59) followed by 1 month (25%, 15/59) and the optimum shift period was felt to be 12 hours by 66% (39/59). The majority felt that there was both adequate pay (71%, 42/59) and adequate indemnity (66%, 39/59). Almost half (49%, 29/59) stated it was better to work with people from the same hospital and, while most felt their deployment could be easily covered by staff from their workplace (56%, 33/59) and caused an inconvenience to their colleagues (51%, 30/59), it was less likely to interrupt service delivery in their workplace (10%, 6/59) or cause an inconvenience to patients (9%, 5/59). Deployment was felt to benefit the affected community by nearly all (95%, 56/59) while less (42%, 25/59) felt that there was a benefit for their own local community. Nearly all felt their role was recognised on return (93%, 55/59) and an identical number (93%, 55/59) enjoyed the experience. All stated they would volunteer again, with 88% strongly agreeing with this statement. Conclusions: This study of Australian DMAT members provides significant insights into a number of human resources issues and should help guide future deployments. The preferred 'on call' arrangements, notice to deploy, period of overseas deployment and shift length are all identified. This extended period of operations needs to be supported by planning and provision of rest cycles, food, temporary accommodation and rest areas for staff. The study also suggests that more emphasis should be placed on team selection and clarification of roles.While the majority felt that there was both adequate pay and adequate indemnity, further work clarifying this, based on national conditions of service should be, and are, being explored currently by the state based teams in Australia. Importantly, the deployment was viewed positively by team members who all stated they would volunteer again, which allows the development of an experienced cohort of team members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]