this week in social inclusion & diversity
National Monday Update Issue:
1. Australian Human Rights Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission hosts a regular series of podcasts called Pod Rights that delves into issues of social justice and diversity.
In the 3rd instalment of Pod Rights, Disability and Race Discrimination Commissioner, Graeme Innes, looks at 4 areas of human rights in which the involvement of the Australian Human Rights Commission has played a part in changing the human rights landscape - the case of Scott v Telstra, Teoh's case, P v P and the Bringing them home inquiry. Assisting Graeme in this discussion is Commission Executive Director, Susan Roberts.
You can either read the transcript or listen to the third episode at: www.humanrights.gov.au/podcasts/index.html
A new installment of Pod Rights will appear on the Australian Human Rights Commission website every second Monday, commenced 1 February 2010. Many of the podcasts take the form of discussions between one of the Commissioners and an expert in the relevant field. If you have a suggestion of someone who the Commissioners could talk to on the podcast or have a comment about the podcast, please email paffairs [at] humanrights [dot] gov [dot] au .
2. Tenth International Conference on Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations
Queen's University Belfast, Northern Ireland; 19-21 July 2010
The Diversity Conference has a history of bringing together scholarly, government and practice-based participants with an interest in the issues of diversity and community.
The Diversity Conference examines the concept of diversity as a positive aspect of a global world and globalised society. The Conference will explore the full range of what diversity means and explore modes of diversity in real-life situations of living together in community. The Conference supports a move away from simple affirmations that 'diversity is good' to a more nuanced account of the effects and uses of diversity in the context of globalisation.
The tenth anniversary of the Diversity Conference will be marked in Belfast, a city both with a past marked by sectarian conflict and a rich heritage of diversity. In addition, ethnic minority communities have increased in number and size since the expansion of the European Union. Belfast, like many cities, continues to work to overcome old divisions.
As well as impressive line-up of international plenary speakers, the Conference will also include numerous paper, workshop and colloquium presentations by practitioners, teachers and researchers. Conference papers will be published in The International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities and Nations. If you are unable to attend the Conference in person, virtual registrations are also available.
3. Australasian Network of Students With Disabilities (ANSWD)
ANSWD is a student organisation, advocating, promoting, lobbying and campaigning on disability issues. It seeks to achieve equality, access, and representation of students with disabilities in the tertiary education sector.
If you are a student with a disability who is either studying at TAFE or university or private college, or if you are a potential tertiary student with a disability who plans to commence tertiary studies in the following year you are strongly encourage to join the ANSWD discussion list.
To subscribe to the ANSWD discussion list, send an majordomo [at] postoffice [dot] utas [dot] edu [dot] au (e-mail )leaving the subject line blank. In the body of the message, type the command: subscribe answd-list
ACPET members are encouraged to forward this information to their students, apprentices and trainees with a disability.
4. Good News Story - the importance of VET services
The Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training (ADCET at http://www.adcet.edu.au/) reports that new research suggests vocational education and training (VET) improves employment outcomes for people with a disability who don’t have a job.
Released by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), the report found that for an average person who is out of work and has a disability, completing VET increases the likelihood of getting a job from 9% to 29% in their first year after completion.
In comparison, for an average person who is out of work and does not have a disability, completing a VET course increases the likelihood of employment from 52% to 62% in their first year after completion.
Ms Francesca Beddie, General Manager, Research, NCVER said the benefits of VET for people with a disability are two-fold. “Not only does VET prepare people with a disability for work, it also equips them with the skills to maintain employment as well,” Ms Beddie said.
“The accessibility of VET makes it an attractive pathway for people with a disability and being able to prove competencies or skills sends a positive signal to employers.
“There is no denying that people with a disability are disadvantaged in the labour market and find it considerably harder to stay in employment. However, VET plays an important role in skilling people with a disability for the workforce and those who do complete a qualification have a better chance of finding a job.”
"The role of vocational education and training in the labour market outcomes of people with disabilities" can be downloaded from http://www.ncver.edu.au/publications/2215.html