Life
This Cooperative aims to investigate large-scale diagnostic research, evaluation and policy program focusing on lifecourse transitions. Lifecourse transitions are between school and work, and with the increasing emphasis on life-long learning, between work and education.
Key transitions for young people are from school to work, or school to further education—with some concern expressed about those “neither earning nor learning”. But such transitions are no longer limited to young people – the growth in contract labour and the rise of Taylorism, or ‘just-in-time’ production, means that workers no longer remain in a single career for their working lives. How then do lifecourse transitions between earning and learning also impact upon adults?
A concern with lifecourse transitions is evident both nationally and internationally: the Queensland government has commissioned research into the destinations of school leavers (The Next Step, 2005), while the OECD argues that lifelong learning needs to be comprehensively integrated across policy and stakeholder groups. For the Queensland Department of Education and Training a responsive and flexible vocational education and training system is necessary for increasing labour force participation. Overall, lifecourse transitions that do not overly stress or disrupt can be regarded as part of the Australian Government’s prioritising of the social and economic fabric of the nation.
Eidos is interested in developing further research on lifecourse transitions, including longitudinal studies, the impact of lifecourse transitions on an ageing population, and how such transitions can best be managed for all age groups.
