Events

Inviting vista or hostile landscape? The gig economy through the eyes of young Australians

Tuesday 20 June | Flinders University, Victoria Square | 4pm

The Australian Industrial Transformation Institute is delighted to host Dr Josh Healy (University of Newcastle) and Dr Andi Pekarek (Melbourne).

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Young people are avid participants in the gig economy, as users and as workers. This dual involvement means that platform companies play a significant role in many young people’s lives, both in enabling their consumption and providing new opportunities for work.

In this paper, Dr Healy and Dr Pekarek present contemporary evidence of how young Australians engage with platforms and their views about gig work. They find that while young people have taken enthusiastically to platforms as users, they are pessimistic about important aspects of gig work. And discuss what this combination of support and suspicion portends for young people’s awareness and acceptance of platforms’ labour practices, which are central to the future of work.

Dr Josh Healy (University of Newcastle)

Josh Healy is a leading researcher and commentator on the future of work. His recent studies focus on technological change, work in the gig economy, experiences of younger and older workers, and the living wage. His contributions include influential commissioned reports, academic articles, editorial roles, events and media appearances, and innovative classroom teaching. Before joining the University of Newcastle, Dr Healy held research-focused roles at the University of Melbourne (2015-20) and Flinders University (2002-15), where he undertook several large studies of Australian workplace leaders, paid care workers, and new immigrants.

Dr Andi Pekarek (Melbourne)

Andi (Andreas) Pekarek is a senior lecturer in the Department of Management and Marketing at the University of Melbourne. His recent projects have centred on work in the platform economy, unions and industrial relations institutions, the HRM occupation, and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of work. Andi has published in such journals as Industrial and Labor Relations Review, Human Resource Management Journal, British Journal of Industrial Relations, and New Technology, Work and Employment. He is an Associate Editor of Research in the Sociology of Work (Emerald) and on the editorial board of the Journal of Industrial Relations (Sage).

The talk will be followed by a discussion with Prof. John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute (AITI).

This event is for anyone interested in the gig economy and the future of work in Australia.

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(08) 8201 5083

aiti@flinders.edu.au

Past Events

AUTOMATION NATION

Dr Navinda Kottege|CSIRO

In this first instalment of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute's (AITI) Future of Work in the Digital Age Seminar Series Dr Kottege talked about the current state of robotics and automation and, drawing on insights from global trends, attempt to paint a picture of what the future of work may hold. 

In 2021 Dr Kottege led the CSIRO’s Data61 robotics team as they placed second in the ‘Robotic Olympics’ - the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) Subterranean Challenge, a global robotics challenge to send field robots into unknown underground environments.

Australia is undoubtedly punching above its weight in robotic developments, but our robotics ecosystem is fragmented. Dr Kottege discussed some of the challenges of the adoption and commercialisation of cutting-edge technology in Australia in the light of current capabilities. And how the collaborative sub-systems of humans and robot interactions means we should anticipate a future of work that includes jobs we have not yet imagined.

This event was held on 17 Feb 2022.

THE PROMISE OF AUTOMATION AND DIGITALISATION

Professor Hugh Bradlow|Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering

The rise of the so-called “Internet of Things” (or “IoT”) over the last decade promises digitilisation of the physical world through measurement, analysis and control. This, combined with Artificial Intelligence, creates the promise of automating many tasks currently done by humans.

But the nature of this automation is yet to be understood. Although there is widespread fear that automation will supplant human jobs Prof. Bradlow argued there is a greater likelihood that automation will complement human work, not replace it. In other words, automation will be no different from other technological advances that humans have applied since the beginning of time – it will just be another tool to make humans more effective.

In this presentation, Hugh Argued that the advantage of automation is not productivity (even though it will inevitably lead to changes in productivity) but the reduction, and possibly ultimately elimination, of human error. He will focus on the progression of automated vehicles and smart buildings as examples.

This event was held on 3 March 2022.

CHARGING AHEAD. ELECTRIC VEHICLES AS INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR (SOUTH) AUSTRALIA

Dr. Mark Dean | Laurie Carmichael Distinguished Research Fellow at the Carmichael Centre, Centre for Future Work at The Australia Institute

Australia possesses many of the key elements to develop an electric vehicle manufacturing industry: critical minerals, advanced industries, skilled workers and consumer demand.

But it lacks an active industrial policy for manufacturing that could coordinate these elements and create a major industry at the core of a sustainable, renewables-focused advanced industrial economy. There are significant opportunities for (South) Australia’s urban centres and regions to benefit from a national EV-focused industrial transformation.

What opportunities are there for state and country, and how can they be captured by federal industry policy and a state government strategy? This question is explored in relation to the key role of public investment in Australia’s renewables-driven future.

This event was held on the 21 of April 2022.

FUTURE SKILLS: MORE THAN PROGRAMMING?

Prof. Toby Walsh | Laureate Fellow & Scientia Professor of AI, School of CSE, UNSW Sydney

What are likely future demands on workers’ skills and what are the implications for Australia’s training system?

From a perspective of organisational readiness and scientific advances, Australia is amongst the global leaders in developing applications for, and with, Artificial Intelligence.

Having adequate numbers of qualified data scientists and machine learning experts is seen as one of the challenges ahead. What does this mean for Australia’s education and training system? What do we need to teach and learn?

Is it all about technical skills – or, as argued in this presentation, are there soft skills to be considered as well?

Prof. Toby Walsh discussed the implications and impacts of future demands for workers’ skills on Australia's training system.

*Unfortunately, due to a technical error this session was not recorded.

REACHING FOR UTOPIA

John Quiggin | Professor of Economics, University of Queensland.

From four-day weeks to unconditional basic income to free education, it’s possible to imagine a future where society’s focus has moved from consumption to quality of life.

Prof. John Quiggin discusses the technological possibilities and the way the experience of the Covid pandemic has changed our thinking.

This discussion is hosted by Prof. John Spoehr, Director of the Australian Industrial Transformation Institute and is suitable for anyone interested in automation and the future of work in Australia.