El aspecto ecológico y espiritual en la “eco-nomía”

The majority of women – almost four in five (79%) – did not feel concerned that they would lose their job because of inadequate technical skills (see Figure 25). Men were more likely than women to feel ‘very’ or ‘somewhat concerned’ that they could not keep up with the requisite technical skills (32% in comparison to 19% of women).

41

Figure 25: Concern about job loss due to an inability to keep up with technical skills

Q15b. How concerned, if at all, are you about potentially losing your job because … You aren’t able to keep up with the technical skills required to do your job (Base: All women under 40 who are currently working, n=1,692)

Women more likely to be concerned about not being able to keep up with the technical skills required in their jobs tended to be:

 Self-employed women (29% compared to 19% of those working for an employer, for example);

 Women who work from home (26% compared with 15% who do not);

 Women with Bachelor’s degrees or higher (24% compared with 16% of those with TAFE or high school education);

 Women with disability (38% compared to 16% who do not); and

 Women who are Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (32% compared to 16% of those who are not).

During the discussion groups, some women discussed the introduction of new technology within their workplace. While most were receptive to change and welcomed the training provided, there was a recognition of the stress that this introduced for some older workers who were less comfortable with both change and technology. Working mothers returning from maternity leave also reported feeling challenged by updated systems.

“We’ve recently got a new system. Like a new actual computer system within [work unit] and the training that we received, if you were receptive to technology and used it, the support was absolutely there but I know there were some older staff within the organisation who were very stressed at the

amount of training that we received.”

-Brisbane, lower skill/pay, and secure working conditions “After five months (maternity leave) I logged in and the systems were different. Five months and that was all it took for these things to change and I

had to relearn the systems … and … programs … this is why women can’t stay at home with their children anymore and come back when they’ve five,

when they go to school. Because five months was all it took!” -Parramatta, working mothers

42 SUMMARY: WORKFORCE SKILLS AND TRAINING

Three-quarters of working women agreed that their current role allowed them to use their skills, knowledge and abilities, and there was almost universal agreement (92%) that developing the right blend of skills and qualifications was essential for success at work. Women were more likely than men to feel that developing these skills and qualifications were essential, as were high-income earners. Most women also recognised the importance of support and mentoring to develop their leadership skills (84%).

There was a significant gap between the perceived need for developing the right skill set, and working women’s current ability to access free or affordable training – only two in five

working women could access this type of training. Women believed that individuals were the ones who had the primary responsibility for their employment skill development, with

employers, colleges and universities, schools and the Government all sharing secondary responsibility.

While the qualitative research highlighted that working women were experiencing the impact of changing technology and automation in the workplace and some had already seen job losses as a consequence, only a minority in the survey (19%) were concerned that they would not be able to keep up with the technical skills needed to do their job.

43

5. Job security and working

5.1 Overall job security

As shown in Figure 26 below, almost three in five working women (59%) agreed their job was secure. There was little difference between perceptions of job security among male and female respondents.

Figure 26: Agreement on job security

Q12a. Do you agree or disagree that…? My job is secure (Base: All women under 40 who are currently working, n=1,692)

Women in the following circumstances were less likely to feel their jobs were secure:  Those working multiple jobs (51% compared with 61% of single-job holders);

 Those living at home with parents (50% compared with 63% living in their own home and 55% of those in a share house);

 Those working casually, freelance or short-term contracts (39% compared to 66% of those working full-time and/or part time for an employer, and 56% of those working in their own business); and

 Culturally and Linguistically Diverse women (52% compared with 61% of women who are not).

Conversely, women with the following characteristics were more likely to feel secure in their jobs:

 Those working the public sector (66% compared with 57% of those in the private sector and 54% in the non-profit sector); and

44

Importance of job security

Despite only a small majority of women feeling that their job was secure, almost all women (96%) said it mattered to them that they had a secure job and most women (80%) said it mattered a lot (see Figure 27 below).

Figure 27: The importance of having a secure job

Q22h. For each of these issues, do they matter a lot to you, a little, or do they not matter at all? To have a secure job (Base: All women under 40, n=2,109)

While most women said that having a secure job mattered, there were variances between different groups of women. For example, self-employed women were less likely to say that having a secure job mattered ‘a lot’ (65% in comparison to 80% of those working for an employer). Similarly, women who work from home were less likely to feel that job security mattered a lot (73% compared to 83% of those who do not work from home). Women affected by a disability were also less likely to feel this way; 91% said that job security mattered, in comparison to 97% of women without a disability.

The qualitative research indicates that those women who work in what they consider to be secure jobs, enjoy the regularity and reliability of working in a work environment that does not suffer from some of the risks they associate with smaller organisations, or some aspects of private sector employment.

However, while the entitlements attached to public sector jobs were viewed as positive by women working in that sector, the sector no longer necessarily delivers the security of employment that these women were looking for. Some described a culture of rolling temporary contracts that not only limited continuity within the workplace and added to their stress, but also made it difficult to buy a home.

“We have the issue that no one is actually on a permanent contract, we’re all temps ... you might be like a category three lawyer, but you haven’t actually

been given a permanent job and you’ve been working there for five years. And a lot of people complain that it is hard to get mortgages and loans and stuff like that if all you’ve got is a temporary contract that just keeps getting

renewed, four months and four months and four months.” -Sydney, higher skill/pay, and secure working conditions

45

“It becomes a bit frustrating because you feel like you don’t have control over what you’re supposed to actually be doing.”

-Sydney, higher skill/pay, and secure working conditions

Among the higher skilled women, one individual described how her employer had tried to outsource legal work to India, which would challenge her job security.

“We … outsourced like some legal work to India. Working with different lawyers there but we found out luckily, but also unfortunately, to be a really

bad experience because the translation between cultures, law and also language meant that we were like doubly overdoing that work again.”

-Sydney, higher skill/pay, and secure working conditions

Other women raised the issue of the casualization of the workforce, and the insecurity that is bringing into the employment market.

“Everyone just wants to employ casuals now. There is no permanent. They don’t want to pay shift penalties, they don’t want to pay leave. I reckon

casualization of the workforce is the biggest issue.” -Brisbane, lower skill/pay, and secure working conditions