Age barriers to work e-news | Issue 2

Issue 2 | 11 April 2012  View original format

Since the Terms of Reference were announced last month, the team has been conducting its own research as well as a round of initial consultations with a number of major stakeholders including government departments and agencies, seniors’ groups, peak industry bodies and academics.

On 26 March 2012, Professor Rosalind Croucher, ALRC President and Commissioner in charge of the Inquiry, attended the Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation. The Forum was established by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations in 2010 to provide advice to Government on practical solutions to address barriers to employment for mature age people. It includes representatives of seniors’ groups, the Australian Council of Trade Unions, employer and industry groups, the National Employment Services Association and other key stakeholders. Professor Croucher was delighted to be invited to this important meeting at such an early stage in the Inquiry process. A transcript of Professor Croucher’s presentation to the Forum, and PowerPoint slides are available on the ALRC website. It provides an overview of the Inquiry and some of the areas we have been focusing on to date.

See Consultative Forum on Mature Age Participation >>

On Thursday 12 April the Inquiry team goes to Canberra for initial consultations with the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations and the Attorney-General’s Department.

Based on research and consultations to date, the Inquiry team is putting together the first consultation document for the Age Barriers Inquiry, the Issues Paper. We expect to make it available on the ALRC website in the week beginning 30 April, and will at that point call for submissions. Of course, we will notify you via this e-news as soon as it is available, but would encourage people and organisations intending to make submissions to put aside time over May to prepare them. The closing date for submissions will be Thursday 14 June 2012.

Following the release of the Issues Paper, we will embark on a second round of consultations. In addition to consultations in Sydney in Canberra, we will also be consulting in Perth in May and Melbourne in July.