Special collections exhibition: employability & work

13 June – 29 September 2023, 9am–5pm

70-104 Ballarat Rd, VIC, AU
View map below

Free

Explore the Special Collections exhibition about employability and work, showcasing materials relating to employments, jobs, vocation, and skills from the Special Collections at Victoria University, and get VU support to prepare for employment and career success.

The exhibition showcases materials from across all collections within Special Collections, with an emphasis on VU and the West, including activism in areas of job security and skills.

Visit the exhibition at Footscray Park Library , on Level 2 of Building P, to discover materials related to four themes – VU and the west, unemployment, education and employability, and skills and trade.

If your research is related to any of the four themes or you are unable to view the exhibition in person, view the Library Guide VU Special Collections for a full list of the materials and book cover images being displayed at this exhibition. For queries and appointment to view items, email [email protected] .

Exhibition themes

Find out where Special Collections materials related to these four themes are displayed at Footscray Park Library.

: Special Collections materials about VU and the west include commemorative publications about educational institutions in the west, reports about education, training, unemployment and the labour force, as well as a CD about Melbourne’s west.

Materials on display in the cabinet near the staircase and the lift include:

Jobs gone west: a report on unemployment in the western region of Melbourne

King Street Primary School, West Melbourne, no. 1689: centenary souvenir, 1876-1976

Poor man's university: 75 years of technical education in Footscray

Shire of Werribee labour force and employment study: final report

Women working together: suffrage and onwards
: The theme of unemployment is reflected across materials relating to workers’ rights, depression, jobs in Western Melbourne, technology, unemployment relief works and youth and the training myth.

Materials displayed in the cabinet located to the left of the service desk, on the way to P228, include:

Depression down under

I want to work

Technology ...: the unemployment and environment crisis

Workers' rights & unemployment

Youth unemployment & the training myth (the abuse of Kirby)
: Education and employment are themes found in various materials about young people, migrants, primary education in Australia and East Timor, teachers, technical education, and trade and industry in Australasia.

Materials displayed in the cabinet near the ‘self-check’ machines include:

Education – what for?: A consideration of the general economic and educational prospects and options for the young

Migrant education – interim report

Report of a special Committee on Handwriting in Victorian State Schools

Technical education in Victoria: 1868-1934

100 schools programme: improving the quality of primary education in East Timor
: Materials related to skills and trade provide perspectives on topics such as apprenticeship, job redesign, older workers, trades (dockers, fishermen, maritime workers, metal workers, plumbers, and ship painters), working hours and working women.

Materials on display in the cabinet in the Learning Hub include:

Build the fleet, the challenge for maritime workers: a Communist Party proposal

Metal workers demand 35 hour week

My apprenticeship

Older workers: myths and realities

Women and their work

Be job & career ready

As a VU student, you have access to VU Library resources and VU Employ for help with job hunting and career planning.

Borrow the print books displayed in the cabinet located to the right of the main entrance of the Footscray Park Library.
Scan the QR codes displayed on any of the four exhibition cabinets:

LinkedIn Learning QR code to access LinkedIn Learning courses to develop employability and work skills such as writing a resume, cover letter tips, finding a job, and creating a career plan
VU Employ QR code to access VU Employ – careers service & support to:
- get advice on preparing resumes and interview techniques
- chat to a career consultant about future options
- check out all the resources in VU Employ Collaborate.