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Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Political Economy, University of Sydney

Dr Phillip Toner is a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Political Economy at the University of Sydney and Adjunct Professor at UTS Business School.

He was formerly a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Industry and Innovation Studies at the University of Western Sydney.

Phillip's PhD was on the role of manufacturing industry in economic development. The thesis was published by Macmillan U.K. in 1999 as 'Main Currents in Cumulative Causation: The Dynamics of Growth and Development'.

Phillip's major areas of research interests include industrial structure analysis; industry policy; the economics of technical innovation; labour market analysis and comparative national skills formation systems.

Over the last five years Dr Toner has undertaken research on the VET system for the National Centre for Vocational Education Research; NSW Board of Vocational Education and Training; NSW TAFE Commission; Department of Industry Science and Resources; Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business; Australian Industry Group; Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Master Builders Association; BIS-Shrapnel; Dusseldorp Skills Forum; Construction Training Australia; Group Training Australia and the RTBU, AMWU and CFMEU. In 2003 Dr Toner was granted a three year Australian Research Council Linkage grant to examine the sustainability of on-site labour supply for the Australian construction industry. These projects have stimulated significant policy debates. He is a regular media commentator and opinion writer for the Australian Financial Review, Sydney Morning Herald, ABC radio and ABC 7.30 Report. He has also prepared submissions to, and appeared before, several state and commonwealth government inquiries on industry policy and vocational training.

He has published extensively in Australian and overseas journals including the Cambridge Journal of Economics; Journal of Contemporary Asia; Issues & Studies: A Quarterly Journal on China, Taiwan and East Asia; Journal of Industrial Relations; The Economic and Labour Relations Review; Australian Bulletin of Labour and Labour & Industry.

Experience

  • –present
    Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Industry and Innovation Studies, University of Western Sydney

Education

  •  
    Sydney University, Ph.D