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This work was funded under the Australian Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations' (DEEWR's) Workforce Innovation Program which provides funding for innovative projects that address workforce skills needs. The intention of this project was to develop a contemporary view of skills utilisation from the company perspective and then to apply these learnings to a tool which could be used to help companies move to become high performing workplaces with high levels of skills utilisation. The project was conducted over a two year period from October 2009 to late 2011 and involved a research review, an employer skills utilisation survey, these case studies, a pilot of high performance processes, and a final report. Five highly productive organisations were identified using a range of methods and the project team worked with those companies to identify the actions, processes and structures they put in place to create high performing workplaces. Illustrative case studies were prepared and the findings from the case studies and the research review contributed to the development of the workplace productivity tool.

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This article examines the effects of discrimination based on race, ethnic background, nationality, religion, sex, age, disability and sexual orientation on skill underutilization and under-skilling in 30 European countries. People who experienced a variety of forms of workplace discrimination were more likely to report over-skilling, defined as having skills for more demanding roles than required for their job. Paradoxically, some forms of labour market discrimination were also linked to under-skilling, where people report requiring more training to fulfil their job role. The findings are explained in terms of how discrimination in the labour market can have differential impacts on access to career progression and training opportunities across organizations. Differences between self-report and statistical estimates of discrimination are observed. Broader implications for the interpretation of statistical models in discrimination research are discussed.

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Experts envision automation and intelligent digital agents permeating vast areas of work and personal lives by 2025 with huge implications for a range of industries such as health care, transport and logistics, customer service, and home maintenance. However, even as these experts are largely consistent in their predictions for the evolution of technology itself, they are deeply divided on how advances in [artificial intelligence] AI and robotics will impact the economic and employment picture over the next decade, possibly displacing more jobs than they create. This report is of the Pew Research Center's 'Internet Project' to mark the 25th anniversary of the creation of the World Wide Web.

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Skills utilisation is an important element of workforce development and is increasingly recognised by governments and policymakers as just as valuable to productivity as skills acquisition. In tight labour markets where employers are keen to maximise the skills of their workforce, skills utilisation has the potential to drive innovation and lead to positive outcomes for both employers and employees. This report seeks to deepen the understanding of what skills utilisation means in the workplace. Skills Australia has consequently explored the conceptual and operational challenges associated with skills utilisation in policy and practice. Using qualitative research methods, Skills Australia has captured the views of 11 Australian organisations through a series of in-depth interviews with managers and employees. The research also links these empirical findings with the previous literature on skills use, and explores its relationship with high performance working (HPW) and human resources management (HRM) practices. Key findings include: skills utilisation is often triggered by tight labour markets and the need to attract and retain employees when faced with strong competition for skills and labour; skills utilisation is delivered through practices such as job redesign and skills audits, autonomy and employee participation, job rotation, and multi-skilling and knowledge transfer; improved skills use is enabled by leadership and management, good [human resources] HR practices, communication and consultation, and employee motivation and commitment; interviews with employers show that they are reaping the benefits of skills utilisation through outcomes such as improvements to innovation, productivity, profitability, staff retention and safety; and from the case study research, a list of critical success factors was identified to help inform policymakers on the conditions required for skills utilisation to thrive.

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On 19 October 2017 the Senate established the Select Committee on the Future of Work and Workers, chaired by Senator Murray Watt, to inquire and report on the impact of technological and other change on the future of work and workers in Australia, with particular reference to: (a) the future earnings, job security, employment status and working patterns of Australians; (b) the different impact of that change on Australians, particularly on regional Australians, depending on their demographic and geographic characteristics; (c) the wider effects of that change on inequality, the economy, government and society; (d) the adequacy of Australia's laws, including industrial relations laws and regulations, policies and institutions to prepare Australians for that change; (e) international efforts to address that change; and (f) any related matters.

For clarity, this report sets out the key issues raised in evidence before the committee individually. Chapters are therefore divided thematically as follows: chapter one sets out inquiry administrative processes; chapter two looks at how work is changing in Australia; chapter three assesses arguments around the possible impact of technology on jobs; chapter four examines ways in which Australia's workplace law can be modernised and enhanced, to provide fairness for all; chapter five looks at our approach to knowledge and skills; and chapter six looks at ways the Australian social security and superannuation systems will need to evolve as work evolves. The report makes several recommendations designed to support the Australian government in preparing and committing to a long-term plan to prepare Australian workers, business and the economy for coming technological change.

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This note discusses zero-hours contracts: a type of contract used by employers where people agree to be available for work as and when required, but have no guaranteed hours or times of work. They are used increasingly by companies seeking labour flexibility and by workers seeking flexibility around their other commitments. Opinion on zero-hours contracts has been mixed. Employee organisations tend to argue that the contracts result in financial insecurity for workers who lack key employment rights; employer organisations stress their utility when seeking to meet fluctuating demand and argue that they play a vital role in keeping people in employment. Prior to the 2015 General Election, the Coalition Government and the Opposition proposed measures to address concerns about the use of zero-hours contracts. Notably, section 153 of the Small Business, Enterprise and Employment Act 2015 and supporting regulations seek to prevent the use of 'exclusivity clauses' in zero-hours contracts (i.e. prohibit a contractual requirement for a worker to work exclusively for one employer irrespective of the hours offered).

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Discover the patterns around the world of unemployment and other forms of labour underutilization, including time-related underemployment, the potential labour force and over-education in this resource, the fourth issue of our series Spotlight on work statistics.

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In Japan, the female labor participation rate has been rising since the 1980s, but there has still been no great change in the division of housework between men and women in the home. To make sense of this puzzle, this paper will argue that the sexual division of labor has basically been maintained. In terms of paid work, the increased employment rate of Japanese women is not necessarily the result of policy-based support; rather, it can be attributed to factors such as continued employment due to a growing tendency to stay unmarried, and an increase in non-regular employment among married women. The rigidity of working styles is hindering women's participation in regular employment. In terms of unpaid work in the home, meanwhile, the husband's housework has not replaced the wife's housework, and this is obstructing women's commitment to their work. To weaken the persistent sexual division of labor and break through the barriers between women and employment, we will not only need to change systems of childcare leave and other family support; informal codes of behavior connected with the ideal image of working styles and the family will also need to be addressed.

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Two key issues thrown up by the 1999 introduction of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the United Kingdom are its likely impact on employers’ training practices in low paying sectors of the economy and the implications for skills. Based on a study of the hospitality industry, this article assesses the limited significance of the differential, ‘subminimum’ NMW rates as devices for promoting skills development and considers the absence of any direct impact on training practices of the statutory floor of wages in general. The weaknesses of a policy framework dominated by a supply-side ethos in which the importance of incentives for employers to provide training and employment opportunities is prioritised, rather than one in which an opportunity is taken to use the NMW as part of a wider strategy to generate greater demand for skills in low-paying industries are attested.

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Traditionally, skills policies in many developed countries have concentrated on boosting the supply of skilled and qualified labour as a means of promoting international competitiveness, productivity and social inclusion. However, there is a growing recognition that if skills are to deliver, they have to be utilised in the workplace. In the UK, skill utilisation is gaining prominence as a policy issue, particularly in Scotland where a number of skill utilisation projects are currently being piloted. If policies are to function effectively, knowing what skill utilisation is, and how to measure its presence, is vital, as is the ability to evaluate specific programmes. This Issues Paper offers some initial thoughts on the development of a measurement and evaluation framework.

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