Search this site

< Back Emergency Services Workforce 2030 - Changing Landscape Literature Review Read the report About the report The Changing Landscape Literature Review collates a high-level evidence base around seven major themes in the changing landscape (i.e., the external environment) that fire, emergency service, and rural land management agencies operate in, and which will shape workforce planning and capability requirements over the next decade. McLennan, B.J., Chong, J.X.Y., and P.D. Dunlop (Eds.) (2022), Emergency Services Workforce 2030 – Changing Landscape Literature Review. Melbourne: Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre. https://espace.curtin.edu.au/bitstream/handle/20.500.11937/89192/89016.pdf?sequence=2&isAllowed=y Citation: Previous Next

< Back Wellbeing on Station: A Toolkit for Firefighters and Station Officers Read the report About the report This toolkit provides guidance on how to ask for, and give peer support on station that can help people in times of difficulty (care conversations), can help them develop professional mastery (learning conversations), and can help them continue to grow (career conversations). Boeing, A., Gunson, H., Hosszu, K., Chi, J., & Jorritsma, K. (2024). Wellbeing on Station: A Toolkit for Firefighters and Station Officers. Toolkit by the Future of Work Institute, Curtin University funded by the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia. Citation: Previous Next

< Back Initiating Care and Career Check-ins at the WA Police Force: A Guide to Making Work, Work for You Read the report About the report This toolkit provides guidance on how police officers (or similar) can ask for support that helps them in times of difficulty (care check-ins), can help them develop professional mastery (learning check-ins), and can help them continue to grow (career check-ins). Gunson, H., Boeing, A., Hosszu, K., Chi, J., & Jorritsma, K. (2024). Initiating Care and Career Check-ins at the WA Police Force – A Guide to Making Work, Work for You. Toolkit by the Future of Work Institute, Curtin University funded by the Mental Health Commission of Western Australia. Citation: Previous Next

< Back Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety in the mining industry – The MARS Program Landmark Study: Workplace policy and practice survey Read the report About the report This report presents the results of a workplace policy and practice survey that assessed the initiatives that mining companies report engaging in to support worker well-being. Drane, C.F., Yam, C., Anderson, M., Fruhen, L., Jorritsma, K., & Parker, S.K. (2023). Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety in the mining industry – The MARS Program Landmark Study: Workplace Policy and Practice Survey. A report prepared by the Centre for Transformative Work Design for the Government of Western Australia. https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2023-12/mars_workplace_policy_practice_report_2.pdf Citation: Previous Next

< Back How to make my Flexible Work SMART: A Guide for Workers Read the report About the report This guide provides practical, evidence-based strategies on how the worker can optimise their performance and well-being when working flexibly. Parker, K., Parker, S. K., & Jorritsma, K. (2020). How to Make My Flexible Work SMART. Commissioned Guide prepared for Western Australian State Government Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation. Future of Work Institute, Curtin University. Citation: Previous Next

< Back Mental awareness, respect and safety in the mining industry – The landmark study: A review and synthesis of the literature Read the report About the report This report provides an overview and synthesis of the current literature concerning the three focus areas: mental health and well-being, physical health and safety, and workplace culture and sexual harassment/assault. Yam, C., Parker, S., Fruhen, L., Anderson, M., Woodley, G., Hendriks, J., Burns, S., & Drane, C. (2022). Mental Awareness, Respect and Safety in the mining industry – The Landmark Study: A review and synthesis of the literature. https://www.wa.gov.au/system/files/2022-11/MARS_LMS_Preliminary_Report_2A.pdf Citation: Previous Next

< Back Impact of FIFO work arrangements on the mental health and wellbeing of FIFO workers Read the report About the report This report brings together findings from a literature review with a comprehensive analysis of 59 FIFO studies, a survey of more than 3000 FIFO workers, in-depth interviews, surveys of FIFO partners and former FIFO workers, and a study that tracks how workers’ experiences vary across five points of a swing. Parker, S. K., Fruhen, L., Burton, C., McQuade, S., Loveny, J., Griffin, M., Page, A., Chikritzhs, T., Crock, S., Jorritsma, K. and Esmond, J. (2018). Impact of FIFO work arrangements on the mental health and wellbeing of FIFO workers. Perth, Western Australia: WA Mental Health Commission. https://www.mhc.wa.gov.au/media/2547/impact-of-fifo-work-arrangement-on-the-mental-health-and-wellbeing-of-fifo-workers-full-report.pdf Citation: Previous Next

Undiagnosed Diseases Program Project members Project lead Professor Sharon Parker Project lead Florian Klonek Project lead Georgia Hay Overview We have partnered with Genetic Services WA and the Office of Population Health Genomics (OPHG) to study the Western Australian Undiagnosed Diseases Program (UDP-WA), an interdisciplinary ‘expert panel’ which reviews the cases of chronically undiagnosed patients. The aim The current project is to understand the cognitive, motivational, and social-psychological factors that contribute to or inhibit the success and sustainability of the program. Data collection is ongoing and includes interviews with the UDP-WA expert clinicians, short written surveys, and systematic observation of the monthly expert panel meetings. With the final goal being to develop a evidence-based recommendations on how to further enhance and sustain the success of the UDP-WA, specifically by improving clinician engagement and communication in the expert panel meetings. These recommendations will be developed in consultation with the OPHG and UDP-WA management team, and will include follow-up evaluations. Industry outcomes Building a fit-for-purpose framework The proposed immediate outcome of the project is a comprehensive, multi-level framework of the UDP-WA that describes the factors that contribute to the current program’s success. Communication of our findings Dissemination of these findings will provide significant support for the further globalisation and sustainability of UDPs internationally.

< Back Support Your Volunteers: Volunteer Leader Toolkit Read the report About the report The resource kit comprises three modules full of evidence-based, interactive and engaging videos, documents and activities that were developed in partnership with emergency service volunteers and their leaders. Support Your Volunteers: Volunteer Leader ToolkitNatural Hazards Research Australia Citation: Previous Next

Explore recent and past issues of our quarterly newsletters FOWI Newsletter Explore recent and past issues of our quarterly newsletters Explore past issues July 2026 April 2026 December 2025 October 2025 June 2025 March 2025 December 2024 August 2024 May 2024 April 2024 April 2021 July 2020 April 2020 March 2020 Subscribe to our mailing list to keep up with the latest news and upcoming events Subscribe to our news

Engaging Scouts Leaders Partnership with Curtin University and The University of Western Australia research team Project members Project lead Professor Marylène Gagné Project lead Professor Patrick Dunlop Project lead Djurre Holtrop Project member Jane Chong Project member Professor John Cordery Project member Christine Soo Scouts research overview Volunteer Recruitment, Retention & Engagement to find ways to attract and retain more adult volunteers to deliver Scouts youth programs.Why have you committed to staying with Scouts Australia is important to us and with this understanding we hope to improve the retention of greater numbers of our leaders… – Chris Bates, former Chief Commissioner Scouts Australia (Chiefy) Read our Research poster As Scouts organisations across the country would know, developing effective recruitment, training and retention strategies are essential for non-profit organisations to deliver quality youth programs. Non-profit organisations such as Scouts often struggle to attract and retain a sufficient number of volunteers, resulting youth who would like to become Scouts, but often find the experience challenging due to long wait lists. The key purpose of this partnership was to help Scouts find successful, innovative solutions to attract and engage volunteers who are crucial for delivering its youth programs and vision. Prof Marylène Gagné, Dr Patrick Dunlop, and Dr Djurre Holtrop from the Curtin Future of Work Institute and Dr Christine Soo from the UWA Business School, along with Professor John Cordery from Curtin University, provided their expertise to improve recruitment and retention at Scouts from 2016-2020. Together with Scouts WA, Scouts SA, Scouts VIC and Scouts TAS, they have been awarded an impressive Australian Research Council Linkage Project Grant to try new state-of-the-art recruitment, training and communications strategies to improve the engagement and retention of Scouts volunteers.

< Back Thriving Sustainably: Navigating the Complex Landscape of Workplace Mental Health - A Thrive at Work Survey Insights Report Read the report About the report This report delves into key findings from the ongoing Thrive at Work Survey conducted among Australian workers and workplaces, and represents the culmination of our extensive efforts at the intersection of research and practice. Cham, B., Jorritsma, K., Griffin, M., & Parker, S.K. (2023). Thriving Sustainably: Navigating the Complex Landscape of Workplace Mental Health. A Thrive at Work Survey Insights Report. Curtin University. https://www.thriveatwork.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Thriving-Sustainably-A-Thrive-at-Work-Survey-Insights-Report.pdf Citation: Previous Next