Survey of Employers in two LGAs in Southwestern Sydney 2013-2014

This is a report on the responses of 82 employers in Campbelltown, Fairfield, Narellan, Camden and Smeaton Grange, to a 2013-2014 survey designed to gather employers’ views of their skilled labour needs, in order to remain competitive and grow through innovation. Overall recommendation A lighthouse Regional Manufacturing Innovation and Workforce Development Partnership be piloted, to pioneer a regional program of information exchange and shared workforce development accessible to small and medium businesses. This Government-funded model would be supported by creating seconded or earmarked cross-organisational staff positions and roles, with the brief of working across employer groups, key training organisations and the three tiers of government. Their brief would be to provide a focus for gathering, exchanging and disseminating information that is timely, targeted, well- integrated and readily digestible. This information would cover: - Case study approaches to setting up local innovation initiatives - Environmental scanning of technological developments and locally-relevant market opportunities in Australian and global markets - Best- practice tools such as strategies and resources for induction and advice about accessing customised delivery of accredited workplace, online and off-site learning to building workplace expertise - Regional Manufacturing occupational labour market data, and a regional job-matching website specifically for use by local employers and jobseekers. The Partnership would also provide funding and practical support for the creation of recognized workplace development programs and resource materials supporting small manufacturing businesses in training novices and in upskilling staff. The Partnership would have initial funding for five years, and be tasked with the specific mission of embedding into ongoing practice the structures and approaches it develops. Development of the Badgerys Creek Precinct provides a unique catalyst, with significant multiplier effects, for the creation of such a South Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Initiative, one of whose focal points might be an Advanced Manufacturing and Aircraft Maintenance hub

No. 20: Migration of Skills in South Africa: Patterns, Trends and Challenges

It is a human inclination to want to position oneself where conditions are best for personal fulfilment, growth and success. People migrate because they perceive their environment as inadequate in terms of what they desire or deserve. The more deserving they consider themselves the more likely they will be to leave a suboptimal environment in search of one in which they will be appreciated – through recognition or pay – and where they can develop their potential, live securely, work towards their goals and enjoy standards with which they align themselves. Skilled people recognise that they have something to offer; they have a bargaining chip for a better quality of life. Their services or expertise are in demand and they encounter fewer hurdles in changing to a new environment. In a rapidly globalising world, skills can move further and more easily than ever before. Globalisation is offering increased opportunities for skilled people to migrate. There is a loss to the original environment when a skilled person leaves. This loss can be measured in terms of a shrinking skills base, a decreased capacity to deliver services, diminished capital, a loss of attractiveness for investment, lost potential for invention and innovation, lower transfer of knowledge and expertise and a shrinkage in the economy. There is also a social element of loss where those left behind may feel inferior and develop hostility towards those who leave. Nevertheless, it is neither ethical nor fair to expect people to curb their desire to migrate towards better circumstances – real or perceived. Governments would be illadvised to suppress such aspirations among their people. While there is a need to recoup the loss, the most obvious policy direction would be to create an environment that fewer skilled people would consider sub-optimal. This is difficult under conditions where vast numbers of skilled people are leaving or have left. However, the bulk of research within the field of the brain drain suggests that South Africa is not under undue threat and remains capable of creating an optimal working and living environment if committed to do so. In the South African context, it is essential that economic growth continues, that large investments are made in skills development and training and that attention is directed towards filling needed skills gaps. Plans should be developed to ensure that salaries of skilled professionals become internationally competitive. The participation of the diaspora should be maximised. Recognition should be given to innovators and academics who raise the standards of what South Africa is producing. Many of those who are ahead in their fields are developing brands for South Africa that will inevitably draw in greater investment for greater development. Moreover, it would be wise to engage in public information campaigns highlighting employment standards and social conditions in countries that are frequent destinations for our skilled people. The fear of comparing South Africa to other countries should be pushed back by the courage to market South Africa and highlight its development. Relying on a sense of patriotism and duty is not sufficient to keep skills or entice them back home. The human dimension must be properly considered. Are we making it worthwhile for skilled South Africans to stay in South Africa or are we leaving them no choice but to go

Sectoral innovation performance in the knowledge intensive services

--

Comparative management: Europe "vs" Africa

The lack of comparative articles on the socio-economic realities of the African and European continents was the catalyst to do this dissertation, in order to understand the reasons and what the differences and similarities are. Due to the complexity and size of this task, it was necessary to reduce its scale, which is why the countries with the highest nominal GDP were chosen, namely Germany in Europe and Nigeria in Africa. This reduction, however, cannot lead to a generalisation it can, nevertheless, serve as the basis for a broader study. To this end, using PEST analysis, themes within the political, economic, social and technological realms were applied in order to make this research more objective. A quantitative and qualitative analysis was used to analyse the content, based on authors who have studied this topic individually, creating a correlation between them. After the conduction of this study, it can be concluded that all areas have major differences in these countries, and Nigeria can use Germany as an example. In Nigeria, the extremely high level of corruption and illiteracy leads to fundamental problems, with insufficient infrastructure and even the existing infrastructure being highly deficient, combined by the fact that the population has a high level of illiteracy and even the literate, for the most part, do not go beyond the basic years, which means that the population does not have the academic and technical skills to not only leverage the economy but also demand greater transparency and efficiency from the government. When it comes to Germany, the problems are different, as are the challenges. Low birth rates result in an ageing population and, consequently, a reduced number of working people, which leads to the need for labour through immigration, that is often poorly qualified.A lacuna em artigos comparativos sobre as realidades socioeconómicas dos continentes africano e europeu foi o catalisador para a realização desta dissertação, com o intuito de compreender as razões e quais as diferenças e semelhanças. Devido à complexidade e dimensão desta tarefa, houve necessidade de reduzir a sua escala, e por isso, foram escolhidos os países com maior PIB nominal, nomeadamente, a Alemanha, na Europa, e a Nigéria, em África. Esta redução, não pode, contudo, levar a uma generalização mas sim, servir como base para um estudo mais alargado. Para isso, utilizando a análise PEST, foram abordados temas dentro do domínio político, económico, social e tecnológico de forma a que esta pesquisa fosse mais objetiva. Para analisar os conteúdos foi utilizada uma análise quantitativa e qualitativa baseando em autores que estudaram este tema individualmente criando uma correlação entre eles. Após o estudo realizado, conclui-se, que todas as áreas têm, grandes diferenças nestes países, podendo a Nigéria utilizar a Alemanha como exemplo. Na Nigéria o elevadíssimo grau de corrupção e iliteracia leva a que haja problemas fundamentais, com infraestruturas insuficientes e mesmo as existentes altamente deficitárias, a agravar com facto de ter uma população com um elevado grau de iliteracia e mesmo os literados, na sua maioria, não passa dos anos básicos o que leva a que a população não tenha competências académicas e técnicas para não só alavancar a economia como exigir maior transparência e eficiência do governo. Quando falamos da realidade alemã os problemas são diferentes assim como os desafios que se apresentam. Os baixos níveis de natalidade têm como consequência o envelhecimento da população e consequentemente um número reduzido de população ativa o que provoca a necessidade de mão de obra recorrendo à imigração, esta, muitas vezes, pouco qualificada

OECD reviews of higher education in regional and city development, State of Victoria, Australia

With more than 5.3 million inhabitants Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Once a manufacturing economy, Victoria is now transforming itself into a service and innovation-based economy. Currently, the largest sectors are education services and tourism. In terms of social structure, Victoria is characterised by a large migrant population, 24% of population were born overseas and 44% were either born overseas or have a parent who was born overseas. About 70% of the population resides in Melbourne. Victoria faces a number of challenges, ranging from an ageing population and skills shortages to drought and climate change and increased risk of natural disasters. Rapid population growth, 2% annually, has implications for service delivery and uneven development as well as regional disparities. There are barriers to connectivity in terms of transport and infrastructure, and a high degree of inter-institutional competition in tertiary education sector. The business structure in Victoria includes some highly innovative activities such as in biotechnology, but other sectors, especially those with high number of small and medium-sized enterprises, are lagging behind. Most of the larger manufacturing enterprises are externally controlled and there is uncertainty over the long term investments they will make in the state, as well as the place of Victoria in the global production networks