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The [vocational education and training] VET efforts of large family business in Germany on the one hand, and the risk of the shortage of skilled workers for internationally active German businesses on the other, this paper looks at the involvement of German family businesses in vocational education and training in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). More specifically, it explores the potential and opportunities of initial and continuing vocational education and training in Central and Eastern European countries of major significance to the German economy, sets out the obstacles that exist and examines where action is needed. The study focuses on industrial and technical occupations, since a significant portion of German family businesses in CEE are industrial companies with a particular need for personnel in this field. The economic importance of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) to Germany and German businesses can be seen, for example, from figures on trade intensity or the ranking of trading partners in foreign trade. Germany's imports from Poland (ranked 4th), for instance, today exceed those from Italy (5th) or France (6th). Our analysis includes seven countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovakia and Serbia. Between them, these countries are home to no fewer than 4,442 branches of German businesses, employing over 1.4 million people. This indicates the considerable potential for German businesses in the region. The potential, opportunities, obstacles and the need for action that we have identified in this study result from the particular local contexts in Central and Eastern European countries, contexts that differ considerably from country to country. While a high degree of similarity between the countries might initially be assumed, a closer examination reveals major national differences in the existing environments for vocational education and training. It was therefore necessary to begin by looking at each country's education and training system.

Published abstract.

The volume from which this paper is taken is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 153.651. Show less

The State Training Board (STB), in collaboration with Community Skills WA (CSWA) explored issues affecting the early childhood education and care sector in regional Western Australia, and how the training sector may be able to assist. To inform this program of work, the STB and CSWA held industry consultation sessions with key stakeholders in the sector. CSWA subsequently prepared the 'Regional early childhood education and care report' [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 152.356] which was endorsed by the STB.

The report provides nine recommended strategies under the following seven key themes: (1) Tightening regional labour markets; (2) Importance of local workforce initiatives and Aboriginal workforce development needs; (3) Targeted promotion of early childhood education career pathways; (4) Untapped labour markets; (5) Barriers of the training and regulatory environment; (6) Housing affordability; and (7) Overseas workforce.

The State Government of Western Australia has already embarked upon addressing many of the recommended strategies in the report, and will continue to focus its efforts on initiatives and programs to further support the sector and increase the pipeline of skilled workers to meet industry's needs.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

Skilled migration is one of the policy levers available to governments to address workforce shortages in the economy. This issue of Focus on explores how skilled migration is utilised by governments globally to address skill and labour shortages; how effective policies and procedures that recognise and validate qualifications and credentials gained overseas can facilitate the integration of skilled migrants and refugees in destination labour markets; and the impact the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has had on skilled migration around the world.

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Recognising the important role that the vocational education and training (VET) sector has in skilling the Western Australian workforce for the economy, the State Training Board commissioned this project to inform planning for the VET sector beyond the current economic boom. Using economic modelling, a range of economic and labour forecasts for Western Australia to 2016 were provided based on different outlooks for the resources industry. The modelling has found that the Western Australian economy is unlikely to experience a boom-bust scenario in the short to medium term. It is more likely to experience a gradual softening from the current strong growth in demand for its commodities and products suggesting that industry will continue to face skills shortages, particularly in those sectors unable to pay higher wages to attract and retain workers. This project report consists of three main parts: Part one provides a range of economic and labour forecasts for Western Australia; Part two provides an overview of the current training system, identifies capacity for change in the current VET system and the extent to which emerging industries supported by Government policy and funding may be affected by the modelling results; Part three summarises the main conclusions and recommendations for a VET response to the longer term training needs of the State. Conclusions include: (1) the current focus on apprenticeships and traineeships in the mining and construction industries is warranted; (2) focus on community and service occupations should not be neglected; (3) strategies engaging students in training need to be developed to ensure skill levels in the workforce are maintained to avoid a skills shortage down the track; (4) strategies need to be developed to encourage non-traditional cohorts to take up VET training; (5) labour force planning for emerging industries needs to be considered separately from the results of the model and in line with direct skills and occupations required; (6) strategies need to be considered to ensure the training system caters for those people in the community who miss out on the postive effects of a strong business cycle. The main recommendation arising from the project is for a white paper be developed incorporating these issues and to look more broadly at developing and coordinating a response by the Department of Education and Training to training in the context of the current skills shortages. Show less

This article shows that in 2011-2012 the Australian resources sector was challenged by sharp demands for experienced skilled workers. These shortages reflected the limited pool of specialised Australian skilled labour willing to relocate to Western Australia, the falling numbers of workers taking up apprenticeships and traineeships, and the lack of experience of new graduates. Under these conditions, resources firms actively sourced overseas skilled labour on temporary 457 visas. In 2013, the landscape is changing in that some resource projects have tapered off, Australian workers have relocated to Western Australia in larger numbers, and access to skilled labour via the 457 visa has decreased. It appears that resource firms are using the 457 visa as a temporary response to deal with genuine skill shortages. However, the research here suggests that Australian workers may be subjected to coercive comparisons with overseas labour willing to work harder and longer in poorer conditions.

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This paper adopts a labor market economics perspective to understanding the crisis of health care professionals in Africa. Five challenges resulting from this crisis are identified: a production challenge, an underutilization challenge, a distributional challenge, a performance challenge, and a financing challenge. Differences between the labor market approach and others used in the health field are noted. We conclude that more empirical data, a full labor market analysis, and the use of social benefit-cost criteria are all needed before policy recommendations to address any of these challenges can be confidently offered.

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Successfully motivating and retaining health workers is critical for the effective performance of health systems. In Mozambique, a shortage of health care professionals and low levels of staff motivation in rural and remote areas pose challenges to the provision of equitable health care delivery. This study provides quantitative information on the job preferences of non-physician health professionals in Mozambique, examining how different aspects of jobs are valued and how health professionals might respond to policy options that would post them to district hospitals in rural areas.

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Due to negative perceptions about South Africa, skilled workers are emigrating to countries such as Australia to the detriment of the South African economy. This loss is not necessarily being replaced by graduates or through immigration. Government policies such as Broader-Based Black Economic Empowerment (BBBEE), Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and Affirmative Action (AA), compound the issue by then decreasing the pool of skilled applicants that may occupy skilled and senior posts in organisations. Globally there is a shortage of skills and due to employee mobility they can use any opportunity that presents itself. The objectives of this study were to determine the factors which lead to the emigration of skilled South Africans to Australia and then once these factors are known to propose retention strategies to role players to stem the emigration tide. To achieve these objectives a survey was prepared based on previous studies and a link to the web questionnaire was distributed to the population via an Australian immigration agent. The link was sent to all the agent’s clients around the world and thus consisted not only of South Africa respondents but also elicited international responses, which will be used for comparison purposes only. Only 48 South Africans responded to the survey and although limited, it was sufficient for the purposes of this study. The demographic profile was mainly male and dominated by Generation X. The study also looked at the permanence of the move. If skilled individuals returned with new-found skills and experience then it could be a potential brain gain for South Africa. The results of this study found that 43 per cent of respondents had no intention to return, 42 per cent did not supply a response and only 10 per cent were undecided on whether to return or not. To attract, retain and develop talent, the South African government and the private sector would need to work in partnership to develop policies that would satisfy the lower-order needs of individuals, such as physiological and safety needs.

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The recent cold snap has been unable to take the heat off Western Australian [WA] business confidence, with the short-term outlook accelerating to fresh highs in June. Ongoing strength in the mining sector continues to be the most significant factor driving confidence, followed by the optimism around the domestic vaccine rollout and low interest rates. At the same time, Western Australian businesses reported significant concerns about rising skilled labour shortages. Close to 80 per cent of survey respondents indicated they are struggling to fill a skilled occupation, up from 54 per cent in the previous quarter. In this edition of the [Chamber of Commerce and Industry WA] CCIWA Business Confidence Survey we take a deep dive into WA's skills crisis, providing unique insights into its far-reaching impacts on the WA business community.

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This article examines skill and labour shortages within rural agriculture industries in Western Australia. It draws on primary and secondary data, including 600 survey respondents in the sector. It is determined that there may be a shortage of farm workers during the busy seasons, while they are unemployed during the low seasons. Consequently, it is proposed that a human capability framework is utilised to encourage farm owners and (or) workers to consider the potential for labour harmonisation (LH) strategies which would allow workers to transit between working on the land during the busy seasons and in mining during the low seasons. The outcomes of the study are considered in relation to indicators of precarious work illustrating that LH could enable an easing of labour shortages for both the farming and mining sectors while providing benefits for the respective workers, employers, and the region in general.

Published abstract reprinted by permission of the copyright owner. Show less