The Conversation Australia NZ

In a country like Australia, we all expect that when we get old, we’ll be able to rely on a robust aged care system. But aged care providers can’t find staff and a crisis is brewing. If the problem isn’t fixed, there are serious risks to quality and access to services for older people who need support. There are also broader social, economic and political consequences for undervaluing the rapidly expanding health and social assistance workforce. Aged care employs around 420,000 people. Around 80% of those are front line staff providing care and demand for them is increasing rapidly, explains Hal Swerissen from La Trobe University.

Think of the Olympic Games and for many of us it conjures images of the traditional marquee events: track and field, swimming, weightlifting, gymnastics. But the games are changing – and the Paris Olympics will take it to a new level. As well as bringing back youth-oriented sports such as surfing, skateboarding, sport-climbing and BMX freestyle, these games will see breaking (or breakdancing) and kiteboarding introduced. These programme changes have been on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) agenda for many years, part of an effort to reverse a decades-long decline in younger audience numbers, particularly in the key US consumer market. Holly Thorpe and Belinda Wheaton from The University of Waikato ask if the inclusion of new events like breakdancing and kiteboarding can also create a new generation of fans of the Olympics?

Loneliness in the workplace is greatest among men with traditional views about being the breadwinner Loneliness affects everyone at different times. Although it is well documented men are less likely than women to talk about feelings and to seek help, our research found men’s work arrangements can be a significant contributor. We found loneliness was highest among men in their late 40s but it also occurred at other times, often shaped by how they perceived their careers and income. Men, particularly middle-aged men, who believed they should be the main breadwinners in a household were lonelier than those without this belief. This suggests traditional views around work in the context of heteronormative relationships can be damaging to social connection. Read the full article by The University of Melbourne, UNSW and The University of Sydney: https://lnkd.in/gB5yv7ga

📣 #EVENT: Join Melbourne Connect for 'The Future of Entertainment', the fourth instalment of Melbourne Connect’s popular The Future of series. Discover how technology is pushing the boundaries of traditional entertainment, creating new and exciting ways for people to engage with content and experiences – from Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR) and Metaverse experiences to choose-your-own-adventure media, mixed reality gaming and neurogaming. Date: Wednesday 31st July Time: 5:00pm- 7:30pm Location: Melbourne Connect, The Forum (Level M) To find out more and register for free, click here: https://lnkd.in/gJXfniDu For more events like this, visit The Conversation's Events, Courses & Podcasts Board here: https://lnkd.in/dZjjfQZ This is a featured post from one of The Conversation's partners. #technology #entertainment #academia #industry #leaders #VR #AR #Metaverse

Newly published research into and by young Australians presents disturbing findings that a high proportion of Australians feel as though they are missing out on being young. These feelings were associated with pressures in young people’s lives around finances, work, education, housing, and long-term planning. Should "being young" be enshrined as a human right, asks experts from Monash University.

Are you worried about how AI will affect your future career? According to experts, there is no need to panic. Writing in The Conversation Australia NZ, Andreas Cebulla, Associate Professor in The Future of Work at Flinders University, says the AI revolution is creating opportunities and challenges for the workforce. "But despite all the AI hype, wages for jobs using AI skills in Australia are comparatively low; lower than in the United States, United Kingdom or Singapore," he says. "It seems Australia isn't quite ready to pay top dollar for tech talents just yet. So, by all means pursue a career based on AI development, if it interests you and you don’t mind moving abroad to achieve the top incomes." Cebulla adds that there will always be a need for non-tech capabilities such as critical thinking and communication skills.  Leadership coach Naomi Oyston agrees, writing on LinkedIn, "Despite its amazing capabilities, AI cannot replace the unique qualities that make human relationships so special, especially in business where relationships are everything." (Read more: https://lnkd.in/gjms75kB) How do you think that AI will impact your industry? What skills can't be replaced by technology? Share your thoughts in the comments below. By Brendan Wong

Why real wages in Australia have fallen while they’ve risen in most other OECD countries The OECD’s latest Employment Outlook 2024 reports that, compared with the period immediately before the pandemic, real wages are lower today in 16 of the 35 countries. Australia’s real wages are 4.8% lower than pre-pandemic levels while across the OECD real wages over the same period have, on average, risen 1.5%. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g4_qAHsX

📣 #EVENT: Applications are now open for CSIRO's ON Prime program. ON Prime is a free program designed to help research teams of two to five people take their projects to the next level through customer discovery activities and more. Date: Applications close Monday 22nd July To find out more and apply, click here: https://lnkd.in/djdgjbhD For more events like this, visit The Conversation's Events, Courses & Podcasts Board here: https://lnkd.in/dZjjfQZ This is a featured post from one of The Conversation's partners. #research #program #session #learning #innovation #develop #skills #communication

📣 #EVENT: Join CSIRO for their ON Prime 16 Applicant Information Session. ON Prime gives researchers the skills and confidence to undertake customer discovery and market validation activities that enable them to take their research further. Dates: Wednesday 17th July 2024 Time:  10:30 - 11:15am (AEST) Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams To find out more and register, click here: https://lnkd.in/djdgjbhD For more events like this, visit The Conversation's Events, Courses & Podcasts Board here: https://lnkd.in/dZjjfQZ This is a featured post from one of The Conversation's partners. #research #program #information #session #course #projects

CEO and Executive Director of The Conversation, Lisa Watts is giving evidence to the House of Reps Select Committee on social media today - live stream here: https://lnkd.in/gs-TAWgf