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Evaluation of the Australian Wage Subsidy Special Youth ...

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limited applications, such as for special needs groups only, for example <strong>the</strong> disabled or<br />

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. This is because <strong>the</strong> limited application means such<br />

programs were not reasonably comparable i.e. a wage subsidy targeted to a reasonable<br />

extent <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> population as <strong>the</strong> SYETP was. Because so few wage subsidy evaluations<br />

exist, some information about <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r wage subsidy programs in Australia<br />

is also provided even if no evaluation evidence could be found for <strong>the</strong>m.<br />

SYETP is covered separately in <strong>the</strong> next section. However, SYETP was <strong>the</strong> first<br />

widespread wage subsidy program applied in Australia and so also <strong>the</strong> first wage subsidy<br />

program in Australia for which evaluation attempts were made. SYETP was not <strong>the</strong> only<br />

employment based program <strong>of</strong> ‘work experience’ available that was subsidy based, in<br />

1983. O<strong>the</strong>r, usually brief programmes, have also operated, sometimes alongside SYETP.<br />

SYETP was however by far <strong>the</strong> largest subsidy, making up 69.2 cent <strong>of</strong> all new<br />

programme placements (flow only) in 1980/81 (BLMR (1983) p16, table 3.1, final<br />

column). More recently, o<strong>the</strong>r subsidy programmes have been evaluated and <strong>the</strong> details<br />

<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se are now presented.<br />

2.1.1 Adult <strong>Wage</strong> <strong>Subsidy</strong> Scheme<br />

The list <strong>of</strong> labour market programmes compiled by Routley (1984) describes <strong>the</strong> Adult<br />

<strong>Wage</strong> <strong>Subsidy</strong> Scheme (AWSS), which was introduced during 1983. This programme<br />

briefly coexisted with SYETP within <strong>the</strong> National Employment and Training System<br />

(NEAT), an active labour market programme combining training and wage subsidies.<br />

Chapman (1985) p101 points out that AWSS was introduced by <strong>the</strong> outgoing Fraser<br />

Liberal government in response to <strong>the</strong> <strong>Australian</strong> recession starting after 1981, and<br />

initially retained by <strong>the</strong> incoming Hawke Labour government. Subsidies in amounts <strong>of</strong> up<br />

to $125 per week, for an up to 52 week period, were available to long term unemployed,<br />

fur<strong>the</strong>r defined as “…adults who have been unemployed for a lengthy period” (Routley<br />

(1984): 3). BLMR (June 1984) p168 indicates that AWSS operated in a similar fashion to<br />

<strong>the</strong> extended SYETP in 1983-4, with a 17 week period at $100 per week followed by<br />

ano<strong>the</strong>r 17 week period at $75 per week. Those aged over 24 with 8 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> last 12 months<br />

registered with <strong>the</strong> CES as unemployed and away from full-time education were eligible.

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