Workforce Development

This book is the second in a series of two volumes that reviews a broad range of strategies and practices undertaken as workplace development activities in a post-global financial crisis period when organisational volatility and survival were foremost in the minds of leaders. Drawing mainly from a wide range of major research projects conducted Australia and with some contributions from international authors, this second book is a compilation of contemporary themes and applications that were developed from individual research projects. During the global financial crisis, the Australian economy out-performed many other developed countries, but it was not immune from international pressures such as global competition, market fluctuations and an increasingly mobile workforce. These issues are reflected in many of the chapters and the combined work will inform readers about the major workforce development challenges facing public and private sector organisations. The book blends relevant literature with rich empirical evidence gathered from large and small organisations and includes application tools developed by researchers who are experts in their field. This book will be of scholarly interest to a broad audience of academics, industry leaders, human resource practitioners and students in adult education, business, psychology and social science disciplines. Moreover, the book will be of interest to education and training professionals, management consultants, and more generally, people who follow the evolution of work and its impact on contemporary society.​

Tom Short is a Research Fellow at the University of South Australia where his activities include leading workforce development research projects within the CRC for Rail Innovation. His academic and work experiences span areas such as human resource management, workforce development, leadership and adult education – in senior management, consulting, education and research roles. He has published widely on these topics in books, journals, national and international conference proceedings, professional publications and currently serves on the editorial board of three international journals. Tom is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and was formerly Director of the Performance Improvement Centre, a HRD consulting and training business unit situated within the University of Auckland, Faculty of Education, specialising in the professional development of workplace educators, trainers, assessors and teachers of adults.

Roger Harris is a Professor in the School of Education, University of South Australia. He has had extensive experience in VET research, with a focus on national training reform, workforce development and adult learning. He has presented at national and international conferences and published widely, including books on competency-based education (Macmillan 1995), on and off-job training (NCVER 1998) and rethinking work and learning (Springer 2009), as well co-writing 18 research monographs published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Recently, Roger was Director of the three-year Australian research consortium, Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future. He has been a member of the South Australian Training and Skills Commission and a Research Fellow for three months at the Institute for Adult Learning in the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Currently he serves on the Academic Boards of two private higher education providers and as Program Leader of theWorkforce Development Program within the CRC for Rail Innovation. He has been Editor of the Australian Journal of Adult Learning and is now Co-Editor of the International Journal of Training Research.