Paying it forward: cost benefit analysis of the Wyatt Trust funded financial counselling services

Seeking to gain a better understanding of the benefits associated with financial counselling service provision and its net impact on the lives of people assisted, The Wyatt Trust commissioned The Australian Workplace Innovation and Social Research Centre (WISeR) at The University of Adelaide to undertake a cost benefit analysis of financial counselling services. The report shows that $1 invested in financial counselling services generates$5 of benefits for recipients

Revisiting return to work coordinators. Building bridges 2010-2016

© [2017] Flinders University / Australian Industrial Transformation InstituteEffective from 1 January 2009, employers with 30 employees or more were legislatively required to appoint rehabilitation and return to work (RTW) coordinators (“Coordinators”) in South Australia. This decision followed the Clayton Review of the worker’s compensation system with Coordinators responsible for the organisation’s internal management of work-related injuries and the rehabilitation and return to work of injured employees. The year following the implementation of the legislation, in 2010, the team from the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (AITI)1 conducted a survey of 570 Coordinators for RTWSA2 (Hordacre, Katterl, Chiveralls, Barnett, & Spoehr, 2010). The online survey explored the demographic and workplace characteristics of Coordinators, the perceived efficacy of their training and professional development activities, the value placed on the role by organisations, barriers to RTW, and usefulness of strategies to promote RTW in the workplace. Six years on RTWSA sought to repeat the survey in order to: Compare the characteristics and perceptions of Coordinators in 2010 and 2016; Understand their experiences, organisational role and the way they engage with injured workers; Examine what has worked in the six years since their inception; Explore other challenges that have emerged over this time; and Clarify how the new RTW Act will impact on the function of Coordinators in the workplace and within the scheme

Work pay$: evaluation of a program to teach everyday money skills to young people with disabilities

© [2017] Flinders University / Australian Industrial Transformation InstituteThis report presents the findings of the development and pilot of the Work Pay$ program designed to improve the ability of young people with intellectual and multiple disabilities to engage with their finances as they transition from school to work. The project supported the development and evaluation of a financial literacy module for this cohort to be piloted within Bedford Group’s School to Work Transition Program (STWTP). Three schools agreed to participate in the program with parents or guardians providing informed consent for the participation of 23 students. Most students had rudimentary money skills at commencement and had self-identified money goals to learn about savings and understanding payslips

Understanding everyday money skills for young people with disabilities

© [2016] Flinders University / Australian Industrial Transformation InstituteFinancial literacy is commonly recognised as referring to the skills, knowledge and confidence that support individuals making informed and effective decisions about the use and management of their money across a range of contexts. Financial literacy is not static but grows and expands throughout life. It requires the integration of basic maths, personal experience, attitudes and values along with the use of both cognitive and practical financial literacy skills. And critically, it requires confidence to ask questions, seek advice and make decisions (OECD, 2013). Increasingly countries, including Australia, have become concerned about the level of financial literacy evident in their populations (Financial Literacy Foundation, 2007; OECD, 2013; Orton, 2007; Worthington, 2013). Barriers to understanding and accessing financial services are experienced by many. However, people who are socially and economically disadvantaged and those with literacy and numeracy difficulties are likely to face the biggest hurdles with understanding and access (Conroy & O'Leary, 2005; SEDI, 2008). Poor financial literacy, financial hardship and financial exclusion are often intertwined with social exclusion. However, improving financial literacy can positively impact individuals through the promotion of financial resilience, and by improving financial decision making, asset building and social engagement (Drew, 2013; Mittapalli, 2009)

Prime location: optimising submarine sustainment in Australia

© [2019] Flinders University / Australian Industrial Transformation InstituteThe Australian Government is currently considering the optimal strategy and location for ongoing sustainment of the Collins Class submarines. To align with the Naval Shipbuilding Plan any decision must focus on building and sustaining the country’s naval and industrial capabilities, to generate economic growth and provide local jobs into the future. It must ensure all risks to the enterprise are mitigated, costs are managed, and availability of the Collins Class submarines is not compromised over the medium-to-long term during the transition to the Attack Class submarines. The final Collins Class submarine was commissioned in 2003, with ASC awarded the 15 year Through-Life Support contract. In 2012, John Coles reported on the poor performance of the Collins Class, resulting in a major restructure of the submarine’s usage and upkeep cycle of maintenance and sustainment and the implementation of to two-year full cycle docking (FCD). Resolution of early concerns about the performance of the Collins Class submarines led Coles (2016) to conclude that the sustainment program had moved from a project of concern in 2012 to an exemplar in 2016. In October 2019, ASC reported the ongoing success of Collins Class sustainment activities, with performance continuing to exceed international benchmarks. It is the responsibility of ASC to ensure that sustainment is undertaken productively, cost-effectively and in accordance with exacting standards. Significantly, large scale naval shipbuilding, deep maintenance and sustainment has been located at the Osborne facility in South Australia since the 1980s when ASC won the contract to build the Collins Class submarine. The submarine’s strategic base is located in Western Australia, with the Henderson Shipyard playing a role in some sustainment activities