A prevailing assumption in labour market policy is that workers have a powerful incentive to acquire new skills and qualifications, as this should lead to higher wages. However, the process of rewarding qualifications with higher wages is not automatic, determined solely by market principles, or con…
The Australian labour market remained in a subdued state during 2014. Participation and employment rates fell, while unemployment and underemployment rates rose. Of the limited employment growth that did occur, most was in the part-time workforce and concentrated on prime-aged and older workers. Aft…
Debates over whether customer service work is deskilled or part of the knowledge economy tend to focus on single issues such as control, emotional labour or information management. Call centre work, however, falls within a spectrum of service jobs requiring simultaneous and multifaceted work with pe…
The organization of work in call centres has been the centre of study and debate for a number of years. This article explores the adoption of nationally-recognized training (based on formal qualifications) in Australian call centres, which is now becoming quite widespread, and its relationship to wo…
Over the last decade numerous academic, industry and government studies have suggested that Australia has experienced a sustained decline in apprentice training rates and that this is contributing to shortages in core vocational occupations. This article redresses significant deficiencies in these s…
Emphasis on training and careers in several aspects of recent policy directions in Australia signals a concern for both the expansion and equitable delivery of career opportunities. However, the strategies designed to produce a 'clever country' do not apply equally well to all industries, and detail…
There is currently much concern that young people are not only facing declining opportunities in the labour market, but also have limited access to full-time voca tional training (which might be seen as a more useful social option to unemployment). This paper represents an examination of the vocatio…
