Workforce development: perspectives and issues

This book adopts a critical outlook in challenging a range of assumptions relating to how and why people are developed at work. It takes a primarily Australian outlook after the global financial crisis and traces the progress of a national industry sector, with each chapter examining a key area of interest for organisational leaders. Overall, the authors argue that workforce development is a combination of activities influenced by context, politics and economic development. The overarching theme is that in times of financial tension when organisational strategy needs to change quickly,...  [+] Show more

This book adopts a critical outlook in challenging a range of assumptions relating to how and why people are developed at work. It takes a primarily Australian outlook after the global financial crisis and traces the progress of a national industry sector, with each chapter examining a key area of interest for organisational leaders. Overall, the authors argue that workforce development is a combination of activities influenced by context, politics and economic development. The overarching theme is that in times of financial tension when organisational strategy needs to change quickly, workforce development must not only plan and build the capabilities of people at work, but also contribute to making employment more socially sustainable for a better world.

The contents are: Exploring the notion of workforce development / Roger Harris and Tom Short; Part one, ‘Sustainability, growth and diversity’, contains the following chapters: Attracting and retaining staff: the role of branding and industry image / Michelle Wallace, Ian Lings, Roslyn Cameron and Neroli Sheldon; International developments in skills migration: a case study of the opportunities, threats and dilemmas for Australia / Peter Kell, Roslyn Cameron, Deborah Joyce and Michelle Wallace; Career paths: challenges and opportunities / Neroli Sheldon and Michelle Wallace; Skills recognition and recognition of prior learning for workforce development: challenges and possibilities / Lisa Davies; Recognition of the skills and knowledge of Indigenous employees / Katie Maher; Women and engineering: a workforce development issue / Michelle Wallace and Neroli Sheldon; Part two, ‘Human capability and capacity building’, contains: Transitions in workplace communication: perspectives on the efficacy of formal workplace mentoring / Tom Short; Building workforce competencies through complex projects / Andrew Sense and Senevi Kiridena; The developmental role of competence assurance / Liza O’Moore, Lesley Jolly and Lydia Kavanagh; The challenges of leadership in the twenty-first century / Tom Stehlik, Tom Short and Janene Piip; Leadership talent identification and management / Janene Piip and Roger Harris; Literacy in the workplace / John Benseman; Part three, ‘Innovations in learning and development’, contains: Coaching in the workplace / Roslyn Cameron and Mehdi Ebrahimi; Contemporary challenges in e-learning / Kristal Reynolds, Karen Becker and Julie Fleming; Simulating work: can simulators help develop a workforce? / Lydia Kavanagh, Lesley Jolly, Liza O’Moore and Gregory Tibbits; Part four, ‘Looking forward: changing perceptions and possibilities’, contains: Spirituality at work: the contribution of mindfulness to personal and workforce development / Leigh Burrows; Evaluation in workforce development / Michele Simons; Critical perspectives on workforce development / Jim Stewart and Sally Sambrook; The future of workforce development: old wine in new bottles? / Tom Short and Roger Harris.