Abstract:
The spatial and temporal dimensions of social interaction have been neglected as "competencies" and associated vocationalist notions have dominated recent discussions of work preparation in Australia. This paper suggests that while particular skills are important in doing a job, people are required to surrender aspects of their time and space to both gain and maintain a job. Further, control over time and space is a resource used to produce and reproduce relations of inequality. Evidence for this proposition comes from a current study into the DEET funded Job Club program, a program to assist people to gain employment via instruction and peer support.