Search Results

Since 2001 there has been a renewed government focus on skills development and its relationship with combating unemployment in Ghana. Technical and vocational education and training (hereinafter; TVET), delivered through public and private schools, vocational training institutes and informal apprenticeship training, continues to be seen as an important link to work. Rising concern over the large number of junior high school graduates that are unable to access further formal education and training has led politicians and policy makers to demand a National Apprenticeship Programme and ambitious plans are being put in place to move towards a more regulated, or formalised, informal apprenticeship system. This article examines these plans and argues that the government needs both to consider fully the ramifications of their proposed activities under the National Apprenticeship Programme, as well as learn from previous programmes in Ghana (and elsewhere) that have attempted to upgrade informal apprenticeships.

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

University degree holders in large cities are more prevalent and are growing at a more rapid pace than in smaller cities and rural areas. This relatively high rate of growth stems from net migratory flows and/or higher rates of degree attainment in cities. Using data from the 1996 and 2001 Censuses, this paper tests the relative importance of these two sources of human capital growth by decomposing degree-holder growth across cities into net migratory flows (domestic and foreign) and in situ growth: that is, growth resulting from higher rates of degree attainment among the resident populations of cities. We find that both sources are important. Hence, it is the ability of cities to both attract and generate degree holders that underlies the high rates of degree attainment we observe across city populations.

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

Scotland has a long tradition of valuing learning for the wider benefits that it can bring to the individual, to society and communities and to the economy. This Government continues to support fully the view that the years we spend in education generate a form of capital that has the potential to produce a long-term return. Skills development contributes to economic development from which we believe other benefits flow such as social justice, stronger communities and more engaged citizens. Understanding and addressing the skills needs of our people and our economy is a complex task and is about much more than planning for the number of, for example, engineers, doctors or plumbers we have now or may need in the future. It is about understanding how the demand and utilisation of skills can contribute to the development of the economy and support individuals to access the labour market to improve their own lives. This is particularly important for those individuals and young people who have moved away from work and learning and now need appropriate skills to re-enter. Inactivity impacts negatively both on people’s lives and the economy: skills development can help change that. Show less

The global financial crisis has created a challenging environment for the construction sector. A 'technical recession' for Australia has been avoided for now, with that largely due to resilience emanating from China and a big stomp on the accelerator from the Federal government (via stimulus measures) and the Reserve Bank (via deep interest rate cuts). The underlying economic environment in Australia still remains weak and construction is an area of the economy which can be notably affected by the economic cycle. The overall implication for the construction sector is a decline over the next few years. Access Economics projects construction sector output will decline by 12.1 per cent over the next three years. Over the past year (to June 2009) we have seen the construction sector in Australia shed 35,000 jobs, or around 3.6 per cent of its workforce. Access Economics projects that construction sector employment may decline by 8.2 per cent over the next three years. This would amount to a loss of 81,000 jobs. Job losses in the construction sector would also be likely to threaten some jobs in directly related sectors, such as manufacturing of building products, or engineering services.

Excerpt from publication. Show less

This article summarises the range of ideas on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) and sustainable development underpinning discussions leading to the Bonn Declaration (which may be found as part of the document indexed at TD/TNC 83.270). It begins with an overview of the broad concept of sustainable development and then discusses the relationships between TVET and the sustainability of the economy, the environment and society. The article concludes by reviewing the many implications for TVET, from pre-workforce learning to learning in the workplace and further training, when it seeks to promote the understanding and practice of sustainable development. Show less

The Jobs and Skills Summit (the Summit) will bring together Australians, including unions, employers, civil society, and government, to discuss our shared economic challenges and propose both immediate and long-term solutions. The goal of the Summit is to find common ground on how Australia can build a bigger, better trained and more productive workforce; boost real wages and living standards; and create more opportunities for more Australians.

The Summit will cover five broad themes: (1) Maintaining full employment and growing productivity; (2) Boosting job security and wages; (3) Lifting participation and reducing barriers to employment; (4) Delivering a high-quality labour force through skills, training and migration; and (5) Maximising opportunities in the industries of the future. Throughout the Summit there will be a strong overarching focus on women's experiences of the labour market and ensuring women have equal opportunities and equal pay.

This Issues Paper outlines the labour market challenges associated with these five themes. It is intended to provide Summit participants and the broader community with a common understanding of these issues so that we can begin working towards solutions to our shared economic challenges and ensure the labour market delivers good outcomes for all. The Summit is the first stage in the process. Ideas raised at the Summit may also be explored further through the White Paper on Employment (the White Paper), which will map a comprehensive blueprint for Australia's future labour market.

Edited excerpts from publication. Show less

This Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Acas discussion paper draws on joint research and sets out the evidence on the importance of good people management. The paper identifies the key areas of people management competency needed for high-performing workplaces: managing work now and in the future; managing the team; managing the individual; managing conflict and difficult situations; and managing yourself.

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

The 2007 State of the Industry Report is a new initiative of the Building and Construction Industry Training Fund (BCITF) Board, which saw the need to identify and publish insights into the current workforce development issues, trends, opportunities and challenges confronting the industry. Building and construction in Western Australia is operating at unprecedented levels, driven in great part by huge growth in the development of major resource projects in the north of the state. This has created significant additional employment opportunities in both construction of projects and subsequent commissioning and operations. The current resources boom has created a multiplier effect on demand for goods and services which has seen the states economy also booming and the demand for housing and commercial construction increase exponentially. The demand for skilled construction workers has increased at a level commensurate with the growth in building activity and the workforce has grown by 41 per cent in a relatively short period of four years. The role of the BCITF has therefore been very important in supporting an increase in the number of skilled workers in the industry and in supporting improvement in the quality of training. In the face of unprecedented demand for a limited resource, the BCITF has been able to achieve record results in support of apprentice employment, worker training and occupational safety and health training. Through a comprehensive suite of funding programs and career promotion and school to industry support initiatives the BCITF Board sees great opportunities to maintain support for training in the building and construction industry in the future. The industry's workforce is ageing and demand for skilled workers to replace those leaving the industry is a current and enduring challenge that will need new ideas and innovative solutions. The state of the industry report is not aimed at solving these issues but it is aimed at providing information that will better inform decision makers and others who have a stake in skills development in the building and construction industry in Western Australia.

Excerpt from publication. Show less

Estonia has managed to restructure and stabilise its economy in a remarkably short time. The move towards an open economic system brought with it significant changes which impinged on the educational sphere, particularly as far as the skills required by the construction, service and management industries were concerned. Since 1993, the main effort has been directed at reorganising the structures and mechanisms of the vocational education and training system and at developing new and updated legislation. The overall strategy is to align training to the labour market needs in cooperation with the social partners. Sections cover the political and socio-economic background, the vocational education and training system, the development of human resources, research on the labour market and vocational education and training, responsible bodies, legislation, financing of vocational education and training and continuing training, bilateral and multilateral donors’ contributions to vocational education and training reform and, finally, a section on the constraints, challenges and future needs. Show less

Are organisations responding to today's difficult economic conditions by cutting back or even abandoning their talent management strategies? Has the 'war for talent' turned into a 'war on talent'? That was the question behind this November 2008 survey of approximately 700 Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) members. The findings make surprising reading. Just 26 per cent reported a change in their organisation's approach to talent management. In fact many businesses continue to see talent management as a key survival strategy to differentiate them from competitors and position them to benefit from the eventual upturn. Many organisations are also responding to the downturn by adopting positive talent management practices: 55 per cent are developing more in-house talent, 45 per cent are focusing on essential development, 43 per cent are continuing to recruit key talent and 35 per cent are increasing their focus on employee retention. However, only 51 per cent felt that managers are equipped to tackle the challenges of managing talent in a downturn. The research argues that now is not the time to cut development activity or to renege on carefully conceived talent management plans. However, more cost-effective solutions may need to be found and return on investment will certainly come under greater scrutiny.

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