The road beyond licensing: The impact of a driver licensing support program on employment outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians

Abstract

Background: With increasingly tough graduated driver licensing laws in all Australian States and Territories, driver licensing support programs are recognised as being important to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to obtain a driver licence. Such programs appear to improve licensing attainment rates, but few studies have examined the broader impact that these programs can have. This research aims to examine the impact of a NSW based driver licensing support program (Driving Change) on client employment outcomes. Methods: Driving Change was delivered from February 2013 to August 2016 in 4 urban and 7 regional Aboriginal communities of New South Wales. Clients were followed-up at 6 months or more following contact with the program as part of routine program operations. Descriptive statistics and regression models were used to analyse data.Results: From 933 clients contacted 254 agreed to provide feedback, a response rate of 27%. Those that responded were mostly female (57%), aged 24 years and under (72%), unemployed (85%) with secondary education or less (71%) and from a regional area (74%). Adjusted logistic regression indicated that clients who achieved an independent licence were more likely (OR: 2.5, 95% CI: 1.22 – 5.24, p=0.001) of reporting a new job or change in job than those who did not attain a licence. Clients from regional areas were more likely (OR: 1.72, 95% CI: 1.27 – 2.33, p=0.001) to gain an independent licence than those from urban areas. Clients from regional areas were also more likely to report an improvement in employment outcomes (OR: 1.2, 95% CI: 0.52 – 2.52, p=0.72,) compared to those from urban areas, though results were not statistically significant. Discussion: This licensing support program increased licensing attainment particularly in regional areas and also had a beneficial effect on employment for those who gained a licence through the program. Clients were predominantly young and unemployed, which are often a hard to reach cohort. There is a need for future licensing programs to collect client employment data and explore approaches for sustainable collaboration between employment agencies and Governments.Conclusion: Licensing programs appear to be effective in improving employment outcomes. Future licensing programs being delivered in regional areas need integrated pathways into employment opportunities to provide holistic services that address the social and economic challenges faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.