Skills in Australia: Towards Workforce Development and Sustainable Skill Ecosystems

Abstract

This article argues that there is a need to move beyond narrow ways of thinking about training to incorporate broader notions of ‘workforce development’ and ‘skill ecosystems’. A market-based approach to skills development is contrasted with a social consensus model, which takes a more integrated view of how skills are formed and sustained. However, following a review of Australia’s brief and ultimately unsuccessful attempt to develop something akin to a social consensus approach, we argue that there is much to be gained from a workforce development approach and an understanding of skill formation as occurring in the context of skill ecosystems. To be most effective this approach to skill formation requires the facilitation of networks and nurturing of partnerships among the different agents and agencies concerned with skill development. Recent initiatives in Australia that explicitly adopt a skill ecosystem and workforce development orientation demonstrate the potential of these approaches to overcome many of the problems associated with currently dominant market-based approaches and avoid the pitfalls of social consensus models.

Re-conceptualising talent management and development within the context of the low paid

“…Based on the attempts of skills ecosystem construction in Australia (See Smith 2006), there is a need for partnership approaches accompanied by dialogue between partners. There is the potential for participation of multiple players in the building of a network, but progress can be slow and public sector intervention may be required to act as a catalyst (Hall and Lansbury 2006).…”

Impact of Workforce Development on Organizational Effectiveness: Evidence from Pakistani Public-Sector Organizations

“…It was suggested that workforce development evolved to describe any one of a relatively wide range of national and international policies and programs related to learning to work (Hawley, 2007). Hall and Lansbury (2006) stated that there is a need to move further than from thinking about training for the particular profession to implement the broader philosophy of skill ecosystems" and "personal development." They argued that the useful skill formation policy requires an approval of WD as an alternative to traditional approaches that focus on providing excellent skills.…”

A Conceptual Model of National Skills Formation for Knowledge-Based Economic Development

“…This represents a departure from the neo-classical view of the role of government in skills formation based on human capital theory in which human capital formation is pareto optimal without government intervention. Market approaches that underpinned skills formation policy in the past have failed to address persistent skills development problems and do not present a comprehensive strategy to develop the skills of the workforce as a whole (Hall and Lansbury 2006). With the objective of arriving at a conceptual model of a sustainable system of skills formation to facilitate knowledge-based economic development, this analysis proceeds by discussing the role of key stakeholders in a systemic approach to skills formation that aligns skills development within broader economic development, business, and social measures.…”

“…While firms tend to focus on paying higher wages for highly demanded skills, macroeconomic trends and rampant market failures of education and training systems suggest longer term approaches to skills formation through continuous, regular on the job training and knowledge transfer are needed (Hall and Lansbury 2006). Market failures in human capital formation are rampant as education and training institutions struggle to keep pace with economic growth (Lall 1999).…”