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Labour administrations face major challenges in today's rapidly changing world of work and this monograph examines how they are coping with globalisation, modernisation and political and financial constraints while still contributing to their countries' economic and social development. The book is presented in two main parts. The first part contains the following three chapters: 'A state of upheaval' which outlines some major developments that have changed the foundations of public administration, the new operating conditions for public administration and the new challenges for labour administration; 'Trends in modernization' which highlights general trends relating to labour administration activities in different countries, covering the historical background, changes in the institutional framework, policy implementation, human resource management, the contribution made by information technology, partnerships, funding and evaluation systems; 'Making improvements' which examines the changes taking place in society covering the parameters of change, quality management and assessment in the labour administration system. Part two contains 27 case studies which analyse labour administration practices in the areas of labour (informal sector, occupational health and safety, wage guarantees and clandestine labour), employment and vocational training (information for users, information and forecast systems on the labour market, information and vocational guidance for jobseekers, placement, skills assessment, retraining of workers, development of training, structuring informal labour, employment and business creation, and employment in small and medium-sized enterprises), industrial relations (collective disputes, individual disputes, collective bargaining, and countries emerging from armed conflict), and evaluation (evaluating the work of labour administration and its components). Show less

Training in the small business sector of Australian Industry has been the subject of a large amount of discussion in recent times. A reasonable amount of research into the type of training and training needs has been undertaken, particularly in the last couple of years. The outcomes of these efforts indicate that very little has changed over the past twenty years; the training needs and types of training undertaken have remained relatively constant. Latterly the National Training Reform Agenda (NTRA) turned its attention to focus upon training efforts in and for small business. In doing so the NTRA has sought to import the preferences of larger businesses, in terms of methodology and focus, and of government, through the bureaucratic measures associated with public funded projects, into training initiatives for small business. This thesis explores through a review of the existing literature, and analysis of a questionnaire and interviews, these issues with particular reference to: the relationship between employer association membership and training; availability of training opportunities to employees of small businesses; changes in training expenditure since the introduction of competency standards; and the impact of commonly accepted issues that have prevented small businesses from participating in training in relation to businesses in the Central Highlands region of Victoria. Previously recognised barriers to small business training such as time and the owner/manager perception of the relevance of training are found not to be major factors in the Central Highlands region. Cost, however, is the primary factor which dissuades small business owner/managers from participating in training and from making training opportunities available to other employees. Small businesses within the region accept the relevance of training and competency standards to their activities. However, competency standards have not had a significant role in influencing the changes in expenditure over the past five (5) years. Owner/managers of small businesses in the Central Highlands region are interested in training. They have demonstrated their commitment by maintaining, and in some cases, increasing, training expenditure in recent years. These are particularly interesting findings as they are not consistent with the generally accepted traits of small businesses in Australia when training is the issue.

Author's abstract. Show less

This paper is one of a collection of national and international perspectives on the role of further education (FE) in economic development as a service provider, stakeholder and strategic partner in leadership and coordination at local, regional and national levels. FE has the community location and connections to encourage the development of the skills needed for self-employment and entrepreneurship within their communities. It can provide vocational courses that may offer opportunities for establishing small business or undertaking contract employment. This paper discusses the potential for entrepreneurship in the United Kingdom (UK), skill development in this area as part of compulsory and sixth form education, and the role of FE in raising awareness of entrepreneurship and developing entrepreneurial skill within the community. The author recommends that FE aims to work in partnership with other economic development agencies towards the creation of a coherent infrastructure to support appropriate skill development.

The volume of collected papers is indexed at TD/TNC 63.135. Show less

The aim of this article is to elucidate how male and female managers of small-scale enterprises in Norway and Sweden relate to and experience the intersection between work and private life. A qualitative content analysis was adopted to explore interviews with 18 managers. The analysis resulted in three primary categories: conflict as a part of the deal, using management to construct balance, and management identity contributing to enrichment. A key theme that emerged was doing management. Both men and women reproduced masculine values in describing their management identities and in explaining how they enacted management. This clear identification was used to legitimate conflict, construct balance and explain the interaction between work and private life as enriching. How the managers enacted gender emerged primarily in how they related to family responsibilities and their feelings of guilt in relation to home and children.

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

The program for this conference was structured around sub-sessions focusing on particular themes. This paper was part of the fifth theme: ‘Partnership for vocational education and training’. Small and medium enterprise (SME) business forms the major part of the Hong Kong economy. Over 90 per cent of business establishments in Hong Kong are in this category, i.e. employing fewer than 100 people. These enterprises in total account for the employment of 60 per cent of the local labour force. SMEs, as the economic engine, are major creators of jobs in all industries. In January 1999, the Management Development Centre of Hong Kong formally set up the Business Start-up Centre to help small business beginners develop their ideas and business plans. This paper gives an account of the support groups and the setting up of the Centre in Hong Kong. The promotional and operational issues encountered during the initial stage are highlighted and an update of the Centre’s latest results and new initiatives for the future are presented.

Published abstract with additional information.

The volume of collected papers is indexed at TD/TNC 62.1017. Show less

This annual report outlines the finances and performance of the Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training for 2022-2023. The annual report aligns with the Queensland Government's objectives for the community, the department's Strategic Plan 2023-2027, and the department's Service Delivery Statements for 2023-2024. It also provides information on our future direction, people management and governance arrangements.

Edited excerpt from publication. Show less

The Queensland Government's [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 economic recovery strategy lays the foundation for Queensland's long-term recovery by protecting our health, creating jobs and working together. The timeline of the strategy has included: February-April 2020 - immediate economic stimulus; May - Economic Recovery Strategy and Stage One initiative announced; June - Stage Two initiative focused on sector strengths announced; July - further stages of economic recovery; August - Economic recovery plan to drive the State's longer term economic response announced.

Stage One of Queensland's Economic Recovery Strategy included: Infrastructure Guarantee - maintaining the current State infrastructure investment program at $51.8 billion over the next four years 2019-20 to 2022-23; $400 million Accelerated Works Program - to support our regions with a substantial capital and maintenance roads program; Works for Queensland COVID Recovery Package - to support local jobs and Local Governments with funding for building productive infrastructure; Household Resilience Program - to support local industry by improving the resilience of North and Central Queensland homes against natural disasters; Support for Queensland's Tourism Industry - to fast track tourism projects and assist our national tourism icons; Small Business Adaptation Grants Program - to help sustain small businesses so they can succeed post-COVID-19; Domestic Tourism Campaign - to support jobs and businesses in our tourism regions by marketing Queensland as the destination of choice for Australian travellers; Making it for Queensland - attracting industry to grow the Queensland's advanced manufacturing capacity, particularly biomedical and health; CopperString - funding to continue investigating the feasibility of the CopperString project to connect the North West Minerals Province with the national electricity market; Up to $20 million to assist Queenslanders, particularly young people and women who have borne a disproportionate burden through job losses nationally, with access to additional free training; and $20 million for the Queensland Apprenticeships Centre to help position Queensland at the forefront of renewable hydrogen.

Stage Two of Queensland's Economic Recovery Strategy included: Agriculture - supporting digital transformation in the agribusiness and food industry, reinvigorating trade relationships and diversification in a post COVID-19 environment; Construction - targeting social and affordable housing investment and regulatory strategies to sustain jobs and recognise hardship in residential construction; Tourism - continuing to provide immediate assistance to the tourism sector by strengthening tourism assets to ensure the sector is ready to respond when the economy is back on its feet; Resources - supporting the continued diversification of the resources sector through exploration and the commercialisation of Mining Equipment Technology and Services businesses, start-ups and innovators, including funding for a renewable energy training facility in Brisbane; Arts and Culture - assisting our galleries, museums and performance venues along with artists, arts workers and musicians to support our cultural and tourism recovery; Small business - supporting small businesses with a further round of direct grants to help them survive and keep providing jobs. Other industry initiatives included: Qld NZ export program – to establish trade and investment pathways and opportunities for new and existing exporters between Queensland and New Zealand; and the taxi support package – to provide one off and upfront payments to operators, licence holders and booking entities.

Queensland's economic recovery plan aims to not just build back but build back better. The plan, released by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on 20 August, follows extensive consultation with business, industry, regional and community stakeholders. Underpinning the plan is more than $7 billion in recovery initiatives to keep the economy moving and Queenslanders in jobs. The plan outlines six key areas of focus over the next two to five years: (1) Safeguarding our health - safeguarding our health and jobs by keeping Queensland pandemic ready; (2) Backing small business - helping small business thrive in a changing environment; (3) Making it for Queensland - growing manufacturing across traditional and new industries; (4) Building Queensland - driving investment in the infrastructure that supports our recovery, resilience and future prosperity; (5) Growing our regions - helping Queensland's regions grow by attracting people, talent and investment; (6) Investing in skills - ensuring Queenslanders have the skills they need to find meaningful jobs and set up pathways for the future.

Queensland's COVID-19 economic recovery plan budget update for 2021–22 outlines the government's commitment to deliver the ongoing support, stimulus and reform needed to drive sustainable economic growth and create ongoing jobs, in line with the six economic recovery priority areas.

Edited excerpts from publisher's website and publications. Show less

The lack of awareness of digital services and outcomes is a concern in business environments since small firms need to improve their digital competencies. The present exploratory study investigated whether business apps training was associated with entrepreneurs' and firms' digital advancements. The business apps training was offered to migrant entrepreneurs running small firms in Athens (Greece) over three months, with data collected before and after the training. The analysis revealed that business apps training was positively associated with entrepreneurs' attitudes toward technology, willingness to change (relating to technology/skills/operations), and internet/digital skills, as well as increased use of business apps. Moreover, the training was positively associated with firms' digital competencies related to communication, networking, social media, customer relationship management, payments, accounting and finance, and project management operations. Furthermore, the business apps training was positively associated with migrant entrepreneurs' integration into Greek society. Given the increased number of migrants in Europe, factors that positively impact their entrepreneurship and integration merit consideration. The study provides researchers with a systematic method for evaluating the association between business app training and entrepreneurs' and firms' digital advancements.

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

Capacity building initiatives and public private partnerships are being encouraged by all levels of government, locally and globally, for developing decentralised, sustainable, self supporting regions. In this light, promulgating social partnerships between institutions like vocational education and training (VET), industry, and the community has been the subject of much discussion in Australia. It is ironic though, [that] this is at a time when the 'institutional capital' (Cocklin and Alston, 2003) and central role for the state is being minimised faster than support for regional infrastructure and capacity builders at the local level. It has often been argued small and micro business, as one possible industry partner, is delivering less in formal VET. There is a need to question though if globalising, neo liberal policies designed to ensure business and communities are more internationally competitive in the marketplace, are mismatched and capacity reducing at the local level? In the pressure to minimise government expenditure and create 'can do' communities, are small businesses and the community filling a vacuum in the regions by 'can doing' already? To what extent could small business and the community 'do more' in VET if policy trends were more conducive to equitable, collaborative decision making and democratic governance at the local level, as opposed to increased regulation and competition for scarce resources from afar? This paper explores the tensions in this 'political ecology' by presenting findings from interviews with practitioners and small business in the Adelaide Hills region, South Australia. It suggests a spectrum of contribution from small business which is open to further critique. The discussion raises questions about public private partnerships, (PPPs) in a deregulated, neo liberal market economy, with concerns about their capacity for resourcing VET strategically for the long term.

Published abstract.

Available papers from the 8th Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association (AVETRA) Conference, 'Emerging futures: recent, responsive and relevant research', are indexed from TD/TNC 81.564 to TD/TNC 81.610. Show less

Over a period of four years the Small Business Professional Development Programme (SBPDP) has used action learning approaches to help small businesses take control of their own learning in ways that improve their bottom lines. This publication was one in a series designed to help manage the growth of small businesses. The focus of this workbook is on employer responsibilities and includes information on matters such as taxation, superannuation, worker’s compensation and insurance.

The series of publications is indexed from TD/TAS 63.04 to TD/TAS 63.10. Show less