8. EMPLOYMENT
Negative opinions about Gen Y
A survey by SmartCompany, in conjunction with Roy Morgan Research and Dun and Bradstreet, has found that the majority of Australian employers have a generally negative view of the Generation Y workforce. Poor spelling and grammar and a failure to understand what constitutes appropriate corporate behaviour are "the biggest bugbears", with almost 70 per cent of surveyed employers reporting dissatisfaction with their Gen-Y employees' performance in those areas. More at: http://smartcompany.com.au/Premium-Articles/Top-Story/Whod-hire-a-Gen-Y.htmlor http://preview.tinyurl.com/2c35ez
9. FAMILIES
What support do families get with caring for the mental ill?
While families play a major role in providing day-to-day care for people affected by mental illness, and while new government policies and initiatives have been aimed at helping this group over the years, this carer group are still very often left unsupported, given no training to help their family members or themselves, and have important information withheld from them without reason by health professionals. A new research bulletin from SANE Australia investigates the effects of caring for someone with a mental illness, and what needs to be done to support families in this role. SANE's research shows that 56 per cent of people caring for someone with mental illness find their own physical and mental health suffer as a result of their caring role, and 70 per cent of these carers say they've received no relevant training or education. More than half of these carers have not accessed support services of any kind due to the absence of such services, and one in four carers experience mental illness themselves. The bulletin (in PDF format) is at:
http://www.sane.org/images/stories/information/research/0707_info_rb5.pdf, or get there via: http://preview.tinyurl.com/22jg2t(Source: (Australian Policy Online; SANE Australia, Research Bulletin 5, July 2007, http://www.sane.org, viewed 13 August 2007.)
http://www.sane.org/images/stories/information/research/0707_info_rb5.pdf, or get there via: http://preview.tinyurl.com/22jg2t(Source: (Australian Policy Online; SANE Australia, Research Bulletin 5, July 2007, http://www.sane.org, viewed 13 August 2007.)
10. HEALTH
Less sleep for today's youth
A comparative study by researchers at the University of South Australia's School of Health Sciences shows that young people aged 10 to 15 years in 2004 had about 30 minutes less sleep than those of the same age in 1985. The study compared data from the 1985 Australian Schools Health and Fitness Survey and the 2004 South Australia Physical Activity Survey. The reduction in sleep time was more pronounced among boys with a lower socioeconomic background. (Source: 'Education Review', v.17, n.4, 2007, p.4.)
11. HISTORY OF YOUTH
Journal for the History of Children and Youth
The Society for the History of Children and Youth recently announced that Johns Hopkins University Press will begin publishing the tri-annual 'Journal for the history of children and youth' in January 2008. See: http://www.history.vt.edu/Jones/SHCY/Newsletter10/JHCYnews.html(Source: Newsletter, SHCY, Summer 2007 (n.10); and email discussion list, H-CHILDHOOD[AT]H-NET.MSU.EDU)
12. INCOMES AND EXPENDITURES
Costs of children: Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 'Occasional Paper' n.18
Commissioned by the Ministerial Taskforce on Child Support, this is a collection of three reports by Paul Henman, Richard Percival and Ann Harding, Matthew Gray. 'Costs of children' contains information on the estimated costs of children in Australian families in 2005–2006; updated costs of children using Australian budget standards; and a review of methodological issues and Australian estimates concerning the costs of children. The report is on the FaCSIA website at: http://www.facs.gov.au/internet/facsinternet.nsf/research/ops-ops18.htm
Closing soon: 2007 Financial Literacy Grants for schools
All Australian secondary schools are eligible to apply for the 2007 Commonwealth Bank Foundation Financial Literacy Grants for secondary schools. The closing date for applications is 19 September 2007. There are 100 grants of $3,500 each, available to secondary schools across Australia to help develop the financial literacy skills of students in Years 7 to 12. See:
http://www.commbank.com.au/financialliteracygrants/
http://www.commbank.com.au/financialliteracygrants/
Another Day Another Dollar
This is a board game designed by Melbourne Citymission Inc. and created by young people, for young people. It provides information about debt, budgeting and making the best decisions. The game is available free of charge (limited number available) for a short time to schools, youth services, community development agencies and educators. See: http://www.melbournecitymission.org.au/ADAD/
13. HOMELESSNESS
Melbourne Citymission's Youth Homelessness Campaign 2007
"Melbourne Citymission is fed up with ad hoc, piecemeal solutions to problems facing young people and is calling for change." Their recently launched ten-point 'Plan for change' outlines the things they believe governments can, and should, do to tackle the growing problem of youth homelessness and disadvantage. See: http://www.melbournecitymission.org.au/homelessness(Source: InfoXchange, http://www.youth.infoxchange.net.au/news/detail.chtml?filename_num=170671, viewed 15 August 2007.)