Workplace website to guide teachers, students and parents

By

Sally Edsall

A new website will address workplace fairness.

At 11.30am on May 1, an exciting new resource for teachers, students, parents and carers and employers will be launched in Federation's auditorium.

Any member who is free at the time is welcome to attend.

Federation is interested in workplace fairness for public school and TAFE teachers and for the students they teach. In 2007, Federation commissioned an independent research organisation, Think: Insight & Advice, to investigate issues specifically pertinent to young people enrolled full time in public high schools or TAFE colleges in NSW and who also work part time.

The findings of that research were presented at Annual Conference in 2007, and published in two reports: You're gold...if you're fifteen years old - The perceived impact of WorkChoices on Youth Employment and Education in NSW and You're gold...if you're fifteen years old - A TAFE Student Perspective.

As a result of the findings of these studies, Annual Conference initiated the website with the aim of providing advice and support for:

Students

• to provide a one-stop site for NSW students to find the sort of information which the study highlighted they were requesting
• to help them better balance their academic and working lives, as well as other commitments such as sporting, family and social activities
• to provide links to the various agencies and organisations which may provide further assistance to student workers if and when they need it.

Teachers

• to provide resources they may find useful in answering the sorts of questions students ask in an individual, informal way
• to provide where possible resources to support teachers in classroom activities related to work.

Parents and carers

• to help parents and carers support their children as they make their way through the balancing act of work and school
• to encourage their children to seek the kind of advice and support which they might need
• to provide parents with links to information about work because students say they look to their parents first for guidance.

Employers

• to support employers aiming to be fair in their dealings with their student employees, knowing that if the students' academic and working lives are well-balanced, they are likely to retain a loyal and stable student workforce
• to support employers in understanding the needs of students they employ and work with their employees to best meet everyone's needs.

Sally Edsall is a Research Officer.

For further information

April 2008 contents