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Abstract
A personal development training course was conducted by the Department of Employment, Education and Training for long-term unemployed women who were returning to the workforce after a long absence. Subjects were 39 women who had been registered with the Commonwealth Employment Service for 6 months or more and were actively seeking work. Three experimental groups (n = 9, 14, and 9) each received 1 week's training, whilst a control group (n = 7) remained on the register without extra assistance. Precourse measures were taken on five psychological variables (depression, self-esteem, psychological distress, life satisfaction, and health). These were compared to postcourse measures taken at follow-up periods of 1 week, 2 months, and 6 months. A significant difference was found between the experimental groups and the control group on depression and self-esteem scores at 2 months and 2 and 6 months, respectively. It is suggested that personal development training enhances self-esteem and empowers women to seek further options for employment, education, and training.