BCEC | FoWI Future of Work Workshop 2020

The Bankwest Curtin Economics Centre (BCEC) in partnership with the Future of Work Institute (FOWI) at Curtin University are holding the second Future of Work Workshop on February 13-14, 2020 at Curtin St Georges Terrace in Perth.

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We are delighted to announce our keynote speaker, Associate Professor Thomas A. O’Neil (University of Calgary) who will present on his topic Developments in High Performance Teamwork, Multiple Team Systems, and Human-Autonomy Teaming. 

The workshop will address key questions surrounding the future of work including:

• Workforce demographics and future of work
• Working more and longer
• Quality of jobs
• Barriers to employment and entrepreneurship
• Robots and jobs
• Preparing for the future: the role of human capital

The workshop will also include a timely policy symposium on “Climate Change and the Future of Work in Australia’, with panellists, Professor John Hewson, ANU Crawford School & BCEC Fellow; Professor Sharon Parker, Director, Centre for Transformative Work Design, Future of Work Institute; Louise Giolitto, CEO, WACOSS and Astghik Mavisakalyan, BCEC Principle Research Fellow.

A workshop dinner will be held on Thursday 13th February 2020 at The Sentinel in Perth from 6.00pm until late.

About the Workshop

Recent years have seen dramatic changes in the organisation of work and alternative forms of employment. Alternative forms of employment, facilitated by online platforms and other technological advances, are growing; at the same time, there is a concern that work is becoming more precarious, with contract and part-time work on the rise, accompanied by low wage growth in many sectors. As adoption of new technologies take over some of the tasks previously performed by labour, there is also increasing concern about the future of jobs. There is need for new insights to better understand the ways in which the organisation of work is changing, the impacts of automation on future employment prospects and the welfare implications of these changes.

The impact of Climate Change is also challenging our way of life. Temperatures are reaching unprecedented levels across Australia and the globe, extreme weather events are becoming more common and difficult to respond to, delicate ecosystems are being compromised and our ability to go about our everyday activities is affected.

Climate change presents an immediate challenge to the way we work and the types of jobs and skills that will be needed to respond. Do we have the current resources, skills and leadership needed to respond to the challengers ahead? Which industries will be disrupted by climate change? How will our workplaces and built environments need to adapt to accommodate climate change impact? Can we continue to rely on our volunteer workforce to address extreme weather events?

This workshop will give those interested in what the future of work holds the opportunity to hear innovative research that aims to deliver new insights into our understanding of where the future of work is, and could be heading, along with discussion on the policy settings and response needed now and in the future to address the impact climate change, is and will have on our working lives.