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The financial planning industry is evolving into a profession, underpinned by a range of regulatory, professional and market changes. A key component of the challenge to professionalism is to attract high calibre new entrants to financial planning degree programs and into the emerging profession. This paper details results of a survey of 191 financial planning practices on their expectations and plans for new entrants. The study finds that there is growing interest in the graduate pathways and methods of obtaining access to a talent pool. In addition, the majority of firms indicated that they would like to grow their staff numbers in the five years (to 2019) and nearly two thirds indicated that they will be seeking graduates for these growth positions. This paper will explore the demand for new entrants, particularly university graduates, into financial planning.

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This report provides an overview of key findings and evidence from the 'Green Skills in VET' project, co-funded by the European Commission, and implemented by SGI Europe and the European Federation of Education Employers (EFEE). The study was carried out by Fondazione ADAPT as a subcontractor within the project. The report focuses on the needs of providers of services of general interest (SGI) operating in the water, energy, and transport sector in selected countries (Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and Portugal). In the context of this project, the research also investigated the possible cooperation between vocational education and training (VET) institutions and SGI enterprises.

The main findings are as follows: (1) Sustainability and employment: as highlighted in a recent forecast analysis by the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 146.867], the EU Green Deal will lead to an increase of employment equal to 63.2 per cent in the water sector, 17.2 per cent in the energy sector, and 0.4 per cent in the transport sector, highlighting a wide range of impacts of the transition to the sectors. The water, energy and transport sectors face very different challenges in relation to the EU Green Deal targets. Specifically, the water sector has reported a decrease in the levels of biodiversity, an increase in pollution and the emergence of new forms of natural resource management. The energy sector calls for investment in research and development to support the transition to sustainable, clean and renewable sources, as well as of innovative and enabling technologies for environmental sustainability processes. Finally, the transport industry aims at reducing emissions equal to 90 per cent by 2050 and using of alternative fuels. (2) Skills and VET: a strategy of economic growth and social inclusion (as well as environmental sustainability policies) through training for skills development is necessary to achieve the objectives of the EU Green Deal. The importance of such an approach has been acknowledged in several recent European policy proposals related to VET, such as the Council Recommendation of 24 November 2020 on vocational education and training for sustainable competitiveness, social equity and resilience, and the European Skills Agenda, which recognize the centrality of vocational training for the green transition.

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This article reports on a research project aimed at investigating the effect of employment and a substantially increased fee level on student persistence and attrition at one of the two major New Zealand distance learning institutions, the Open Polytechnic of New Zealand. Student perceptions of fees’ importance are classified into five groups encompassing both economic and ‘education as investment’ considerations. Employer reimbursement of fees upon successful course completion was found to be a strong influential factor in student persistence. Show less

This report provides an overview of the physiotherapy workforce in Victoria in 2015-2016. It is based on survey responses from 1,037 individual physiotherapists (approximately 15 per cent of the physiotherapy workforce identified by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) or 15 per cent physiotherapists registered with the Physiotherapy Board of Australia), three focus groups involving 17 participants, and surveys from 73 organisations providing services across 299 different locations or sites. Female and older employees were over-represented in the survey sample compared to 2016 registration and 2015 workforce data.

The picture of workforce supply and demand for physiotherapy was mixed. As with other allied health (AH) professions, there has been a rapid growth in new graduates entering the physiotherapy profession, (AIHW, 2016) and increasing competition for jobs, particularly in the public sector. Despite this, there is anecdotal evidence of substantial unmet demand for physiotherapy services in the community. Some advertised physiotherapy positions receive more than 50 applications. Yet around 50 per cent of organisations said that they experience shortages of physiotherapists across lower and higher grades and vacant senior positions can take more than six months to fill. Indicators of workforce shortages include lack of services, service rationing, long waiting lists, increased delegation to [allied health assistants] AHAs and physiotherapists appointed at grades higher than their levels of skill or qualification.

The self-reported attrition rate from the physiotherapy workforce is 2 per cent in the next 12 months increasing to 27 per cent in five years. Approximately 15 per cent of physiotherapists propose to change their job within 12 months. The majority of participants said that they were moving to take up better job opportunities, better pay or better working conditions. Recruitment and retention of physiotherapists was more challenging in regional, rural and some outer metropolitan areas than in inner-metropolitan regions. Rural and regional employers face challenges including competition for staff with metropolitan employers, perceived lack of career development and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities, as well as the more generalist nature of the work. Regional university training courses were seen to increase rural physiotherapy capacity and keep clinicians in regional/rural areas. Some organisations fund physiotherapy positions on short term, temporary or part-time contracts which are less attractive from a recruitment perspective.

Leadership from senior roles is necessary both to build advocacy on behalf of patients and the profession and to provide governance structures for more junior staff, regardless of their employment location. There are relatively few senior physiotherapy positions. Yet some organisations expressed challenges recruiting to senior physiotherapy roles, suggesting a lack of succession planning within the profession. Workforce capacity development and career advancement of the physiotherapy workforce requires access to CPD, particularly in rural areas. Other enablers include support from management, time, funding and availability of appropriate CPD. Failure to provide these enablers limits clinicians' ability to access further training which would provide career opportunities and advance the profession in its ability to meet community health need.

Physiotherapists have a high level of career satisfaction. While most are satisfied with the type of work they perform and the clients they work with, they would like to see improvements in their pay, professional development and career advancement opportunities. Physiotherapists are motivated by achieving a positive work/life balance, the type of work they do and clients they work with, and by having access to professional development opportunities. There was a suggestion that the physiotherapy profession should aim to attract students on the basis of their interpersonal skills and a desire to work with people, rather than academic ability. More appropriate marketing to prospective students may influence their ultimate career satisfaction and retention. There were no systemic skills gaps identified within physiotherapy, however several organisations identified specific skills that would be of benefit locally, including a mixture of clinical skills, knowledge of the health system, and supervision skills. Improved access to CPD may be a way to resolve several local skills gaps.

Key areas of consideration for the physiotherapy workforce going forward include: (1) Developing metrics of community need/demand for physiotherapy services; (2) Increasing evidence and knowledge base of the professions models of care to improve referrals and business cases for optimal staffing levels to improve patient outcomes; (3) Undertake modelling around AH, nursing and medical staffing numbers and mix that ensure optimal service capacity and health outcomes; (4) Improving health service workforce and succession planning to best meet community health need; (5) Improving clinical governance and support, particularly for private practitioners and those working for a large number of different employers; (6) Ensuring adequate supply and skills for growing areas of need, including acute and sub-acute areas, aged care, disability, complex patients and interdisciplinary roles; (7) Addressing attrition by providing support, flexibility and a career opportunities; (8) Developing business case's for areas in which physiotherapy can add value to the patient pathway including referral, diagnostic and treatment pathways, which are currently restricted by professional boundaries, funding models or organisational norms; and (9) Exploring workforce capacity opportunities such as skills that current physiotherapists bring from previous careers, current and potential interdisciplinary and advanced scope roles.

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The majority of women with qualifications in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects do not work in STEM areas. This is in marked contrast to men. The consequence is a loss of talent across the whole economy not just in Scotland but throughout the UK as well as many other European countries. Employers in key sectors are already reporting large impending shortages of people with STEM qualifications. A Royal Society of Edinburgh Working Group has produced this strategy aimed at increasing both the proportion of women in the workplace qualified in STEM, and the number who rise to senior positions in universities and research institutes, government, business and industry. This study has focused on the postgraduate employment of women in STEM. Encouraging girls to take up STEM subjects in primary and secondary schools has been the subject of a separate Working Group. The report is based on a literature review complemented with interviews and discussion fora involving representatives from different stakeholder groups including academia, trade unions, business and representative organisations, a formal written consultation and a survey of learned societies and professional organisations. The main body of the report addresses, in turn, a consideration of the loss of talent in the STEM sector and an analysis of the current situation and contributing factors. The recommendations which follow are set out in several self-contained sections, each addressing a key stakeholder and showing how they can deliver change.

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Public demand has surged for 'green' innovations that make cities more environmentally friendly and more pleasant places to live. [Jobs for the Future] JFF examined the workforce needed to keep up with demand for green infrastructure systems and found that projected employment growth provides valuable opportunities for low-income, low-skilled workers to earn competitive wages. [The authors'] research found good entry-level jobs with some advancement potential, ranging from maintenance of urban gardens to installation of natural systems that manage stormwater flooding. Industry-led efforts to develop the first national green infrastructure certification program may professionalize the field and accelerate job growth. This report is part of NatureWORKS, a national initiative to understand the skills, credentials, and potential of the US green infrastructure workforce.

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The OECD Local Economic and Employment Development (LEED) Programme has developed the OECD ‘Reviews on local job creation’ as an international cross-comparative study examining the contribution of local labour market policy to boosting quality employment and productivity. This report for Northern Ireland examines the capacity of local employment and training organisations to contribute to long-term economic strategy, which builds economic resiliency, quality employment and productivity. The report stresses the importance of aligning skills development efforts with the needs of employers and the economy to support export-oriented growth. It also underlines the integral role that strategic partnerships at the local level can play in effectively tackling economic inactivity and youth unemployment.

The contents are as follows: Executive summary; Reader’s guide; Policy context for employment and skills in Northern Ireland; Overview of the Northern Ireland case study area; Local Job Creation Dashboard findings in Northern Ireland; Towards an action plan for jobs in Northern Ireland: recommendations and best practices. Show less

The dominant public discourse regarding the recruitment and retention of teachers is one that is often framed in terms such as 'crisis'. Data from the Department for Education, the National Audit Office and bodies such as the Education and Training Foundation highlight challenges in filling vacancies across each part of the education sector. This is particularly acute in subject areas relating to Science, Engineering and Technology (SET). This paper analyses discourses relating to teacher training amongst tri-service personnel in the English context. Sources from publications such as [further education] FE Week and CTP (Career Transition Partnership) are addressed. In doing so, the paper compares educational and military sources in order to examine how the representation of a civilian teaching career varies between the two. This is about adding to the wider societal narrative regarding the ways in which military to civilian transition can be aided by the reframing of skills and experience acquired during military service.

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Road freight transport is critical to the continued growth, prosperity and welfare of Australia. Due to the vast land size and dispersed population, Australia is heavily dependent on road transport, with over 75 per cent of non-bulk domestic freight carried on roads. And this demand is only expected to considerably increase, with a predicted doubling of freight demands from 2010 to 2030. However, despite demand increases, the heavy vehicle industry is currently under pressure from severe driver shortages and an image problem. The low numbers of youth, females and indigenous Australians entering the industry has resulted in a workforce lacking in the diversity to help meet labour demands. It has been suggested that the rate of recruitment will need to increase by 150 per cent in order to account for the simultaneous pressures of increased road freight services demand and the loss of retiring drivers. There have been two key factors attributed to the driver shortage (also referred to as the issue of driver availability), one is a negative driver image and the second a lack of driver training. This includes but is not limited to the following issues: truck driving is not perceived as a desirable profession due to being away from home, long hours, work/life balance, pay and negative perception in the media; barriers for younger drivers, such as limited training opportunities, no nationally recognised qualification, high cost of obtaining a heavy vehicle licence, limited progression of licence classes and limited flexibility in work hours; higher insurance premiums creating a barrier for employers to employ younger drivers; and barriers for female drivers, such as the lack of female-friendly amenities and limited flexible work hours for parents.

This report provides timely insights into the decreasing number of truck drivers entering the industry. It shows that despite improving working conditions and industry innovations, the industry is still combatting negative public perception. The research identified: the reality of driver shortage in the industry; a clear issue with driver image in Australia; the importance of the driver availability issue to the industry; the influences towards and effects of negative driver image; a strong appetite for the industry to help in finding a solution to the driver shortage; and a range of initiatives to help in resolving the driver availability issue.

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The overarching aim of this research is to explore and examine the nature, scope and impact of skills shortages and skills gaps in the paid workforce of the UK voluntary sector. This research will provide reliable measures at a national level by sector and size of organisation. The analysis covers areas including: employers’ experiences of hard to fill vacancies and the reasons for these; employers’ views on recruitment over the next three years; how many employers have skills gaps in their workforce, the types of functions and skills affected, the causes of these gaps, any actions taken to overcome them, and the impact these deficiencies have; and the extent to which organisations have a formal training plan and training budget.

The sampling frame for England was obtained from GuideStar UK which is a database of information extracted from the financial accounts of all 168,000 registered charities. The National Employers Skills Survey (NESS) has been used as a base for this survey. NESS is a large-scale survey commissioned by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) that explores skills needs across all sectors among 75,000 employers in England. During the fieldwork [conducted November 2006 to January 2007], 2,564 interviews were conducted across the UK using computer-aided telephone interviewing (CATI). Of these, 1,922 were conducted in England. Interviews were conducted with the person at the site responsible for human resources (HR) or personnel issues, or in organisations without a dedicated person for HR, the Chief Executive.

Key results include: recruitment problems are evident across the sector particularly within specialist activity functions; skills shortages lie at the heart of hard to fill vacancies; skills gaps are apparent across the sector particularly within specialist skills with a detrimental impact on the organisation; employers anticipate future skills shortages and skills gaps; a lack of time and funding for training and development are evident; and employers acknowledge the importance of training.

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