Does 'Work for the Dole' help the unemployed find jobs?

This article outlines a new CEDA research project which aims to review the performance of the Work for the Dole (WfD) scheme which was introduced in 1997 and to make recommendations to improve the employment outcomes of the participants. Preliminary findings of the research suggest that there are a number of issues which may be constraining the effectiveness of the scheme. These include: the variations that exist in work experience provided by organisations, ranging from 'best practice' to 'worst practice'; the limited selection of occupations and industries that are available through WfD due to all projects having to be sponsored by not-for-profit organisations; the issue of how much training should be provided - currently, the training component in the scheme is minimal, but if training is made mandatory, money may be wasted by organisations providing training that has no relevance to the participants' needs or career aspirations; and the rigidity of the contracts that the Community Work Coordinators (CWCs) who manage the scheme have with the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations - CWCs' activities are sometimes being driven by the contracts and not the needs of individuals who participate in the scheme. Show less