NATSEM grant for research into baby boomers

• NATSEM

04 November 2011The National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling (NATSEM) has successfully won $374,823 from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in the latest round of Linkage Grant awards, announced on 1st November 2011.

The successful bid, 'Understanding and preventing workforce vulnerabilities in mid-life and beyond', will look into how baby boomers are excluded from the workforce by using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods and interview data to explore the process and prevention of unemployment, underemployment and economic disadvantage.

Professor Alan Duncan, lead researcher for this grant said, "The findings will provide crucial information about the life histories and experiences of Australians in mid-life and beyond which can be used to design more effective employment policies, programs and services for this vulnerable cohort".

Director of the National Centre for Social and Economic Modelling, Professor Duncan, will be leading a research team over the next three years consisting of partners from the University of Melbourne, the Brotherhood of St. Laurence and Jobs Australia for this collaborative venture.

"The social impacts of premature labour force withdrawal are substantial for mature age Australians, and we are genuinely excited that the ARC and our two linkage partners have given us an opportunity to explore such a critical social and economic policy issue" Professor Duncan said.

For more information on this ARC Linkage grant, please contact Professor Alan Duncan at 02 6201 2780.