Contractualism, Employment Services
and Mature-Age Job Seekers: The Tyranny of Tangible Outcomes
Lorraine Kerr, Deakin
University
Ed Carson, University of South Australia
Jodi Goddard, University of South Australia
ABSTRACT
Mature age unemployment has only recently
started to attract the same degree of attention from researchers and
policy makers as youth unemployment. This development is fuelled by
the government’s increasing recognition that, for a variety of
reasons, it is advantageous to keep older people in the workforce.
Rates of mature-age unemployment are increasing. One driver is the
frequent mismatch between the skills of older workers and the demands
of the contemporary labour market. A second driver is the mismatch
between the priorities and mode of operation of current labour market
programs and the specific needs of older jobseekers. We argue that
older unemployed people have quite specific job search and job training
needs compared with other groups. We draw on empirical research on
the job placement system in South Australia to show that agency capacity
to address the specific needs of mature workers is constrained under
the current policy regime. Without significant changes to the way employment
services are managed — change away from a rigid focus on tangible
outcomes — mature-age jobseekers will continue to be disadvantaged
in finding employment.
Dr Lorraine Kerr is a Research Fellow
at Deakin University and Adjunct Research Fellow at the University
of South Australia. Her research interests include employment and
social security policies and state/Third Sector partnerships. Associate
Professor Ed Carson is Dean, Research, in the Division of Education,
Arts and Social Sciences, and Coordinator of the Social Policy Research
Group, University of South Australia. He has undertaken numerous
employment related research projects and consultancies for Commonwealth
and State government departments. Jodi Goddard is a research degree
candidate in the Social Policy Research Group, undertaking a PhD
on Partnerships between State governments and the Third Sector in
employment services in Australia.
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