Search Results for: labour market

Go Home On Time Day highlights one of the least discussed workplace issues

Go Home On Time Day highlights one of the least discussed workplace issues

Today is National Go Home on Time Day (in Australia at least) and the 10th annual report by The Australia Institute’s Centre for Future Work published to coincide with it estimates that Australian employees will work 3.2 billion hours of unpaid overtime for their employers this year, worth an estimated $106 billion in wages. It’s refreshing to see a figure  applied to this issue, because most of the stuff we get tends to highlight how much time employers are losing to the myriad of distractions, responsibilities, foibles, preferences, cock-ups and ailments that come with giving jobs to humans. An issue we satirise here. (more…)

UK on target to reach one million women working in STEM fields by 2020

UK on target to reach one million women working in STEM fields by 2020

According to new research by WISE, the campaign for gender balance in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the UK is on track to have one million women working in core STEM roles by 2020. The research shows that there are over 900,000 women working in STEM currently and an estimated 200,000 women with STEM qualifications will reach working age within the next 2 years. The news was announced at WISE 2018 Awards presented by the Patron of WISE, HRH, The Princess Royal.

 

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More needs to be done to bridge the digital gender divide, says OECD

More needs to be done to bridge the digital gender divide, says OECD

Barriers to access, education and skills, as well as ingrained socio-cultural biases, are driving a digital gender divide that is holding back women’s participation in the digital economy, according to a new OECD report. Bridging the Digital Gender Divide: Include, Upskill, Innovate says women are not currently empowered to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the digital transformation. While G20 economies have taken important actions to narrow gender gaps in general, more needs to be done to increase the participation of women and girls in the digital economy so that they too can contribute to and benefit from the digital transformation that is under way.

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Business leaders agree that organisations must be digitised to compete

Business leaders agree that organisations must be digitised to compete

Over two thirds (67 percent) of business leaders agree their company must become significantly digitalised by 2020 to remain competitive, and they are looking for HR leaders to lead the transformation. This is according to Gartner, Inc whose latest research suggests that CEOs are sharing their focus on digitalisation with their investors; with mentions of “digital” on earnings calls increasing by 20 percent year-over-year since 2010. CEOs are seeking ways to keep costs down while achieving gains in efficiency and productivity, and the HR function is expected to lead digital transformation efforts across their organisations. (more…)

Learning to learn will be key skill in new world of work

Learning to learn will be key skill in new world of work

A joint report by the Secretariat of the All Party Parliamentary Group on AI, Big Innovation Centre, and professional services firm KPMG has been published, identifying the key skills individuals and organisations will need if they are to survive and thrive in the unfolding future. The report finds that jobs in the labour market of the future will look very different from today and the transformation is likely to be dramatic. It also calls for companies and governments to equip citizens and employees for that future, to help them learn the new skills needed to be relevant in a world of constant transformation.

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Nearly half of UK workers do not have skills that match their job, says CIPD

Nearly half of UK workers do not have skills that match their job, says CIPD

Nearly half of UK workers do not have the skills to match their job says CIPDAlmost half (49 percent) of UK workers are in jobs they are either under- or over-skilled for, according to new research from the CIPD. Its report ‘Over-skilled and underused: Investigating the untapped potential of UK skills’ surveyed 3,700 UK employees and found that more than a third (37 percent) of workers have the skills to cope with more demanding duties than they currently have. At the opposite end of the scale, one in ten (12 percent) employees said they lacked all the skills needed to carry out their job effectively. This means that as many as half (49 percent) of UK workers could be in the wrong job, based on their skill level. The UK has one of most skilled workforces in the world, with 42 percent of workers qualified to degree level, yet it also has the highest proportion of jobs within the OECD which require no qualifications at all.

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Britain should make it easy for high skilled immigrants in the wake of Brexit vote

Britain should make it easy for high skilled immigrants in the wake of Brexit vote

The UK Government should restrict levels of  immigration by low-skilled workers after Brexit, but at the same time make it considerably easier for for medium-skilled and high-skilled workers from around the world, according to a new report from the Migration Advisory Committee. The detailed report was commissioned in July 2017 by Home Secretary Amber Rudd. Its main conclusion is that there is a great deal of hard evidence of the benefit enjoyed by the UK as a result of the migration of highly-skilled migrants and that future policy should reflect this. The study published today, Tuesday, is expected to have a significant effect on the contents of the government’s immigration white paper, due for publication later this year. The report’s conclusions closely match the policy proposals that Home Office officials have outlined to immigration specialists. However, no special preference would be given to EU citizens in the UK’s future immigration system post-Brexit.

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Half of all workplace tasks will be performed by machines within seven years

Half of all workplace tasks will be performed by machines within seven years

The world is going through a workplace revolution that will bring a seismic shift in the way humans work alongside machines and algorithms, according to new research by the World Economic Forum. By 2025 more than half of all current workplace tasks will be performed by machines as opposed to 29 percent today. Such a transformation will have a profound effect on the global labour force, however in terms of overall numbers of new jobs the outlook is positive, with 133 million new jobs expected to be created by 2022 compared to 75 million that will be displaced. The research, published in The Future of Jobs 2018, is an attempt to understand the potential of new technologies to disrupt and create jobs. It is also seeks to provide guidance on how to improve the quality and productivity of the current work being done by humans and how to prepare people for emerging roles.

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More flexibility needed to attract non EU migrants, as UK faces skills shortage

More flexibility needed to attract non EU migrants, as UK faces skills shortage

The CIPD is calling on the government to ease restriction on immigrants from non EU countries, in the wake of the publication of new official figures which show how the number of EU citizens moving to the UK has decreased over the last year. Earlier this month, the CBI issued a similar plea as fears mount over the impact of Brexit on the UK’s skills base.

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Workers are focused on shorter hours and more flexible working

Workers are focused on shorter hours and more flexible working

New research released today by McDonald’s UK, reveals more than half of UK adults want to move away from traditional working patterns, choosing jobs that enable them to enjoy more flexible working and prioritise commitments outside of work. This study was conducted in July and August, with YouGov as well as with McDonald’s employees. Its key finding is that Jobs that offer earlier starts and a shorter working week most appealing to job seekers; with only 6 percent of people working the traditional ‘9-5’

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European Parliament backs new rules for flexible working for parents

European Parliament backs new rules for flexible working for parents

Flexible workingThe European Parliament has approved new rules for paternity leave, non-transferable parental leave and measures for flexible working in a bid to improve the current work/life balance of parents and carers across EU member states. These rules are also hoped to address the under-representation of women in parts of the labour market, increase incentives for fathers to take up family-related leave and to foster gender equality and equal opportunities. MEPs claims this will benefit children and a family life, whilst reflecting societal changes more accurately and promoting gender equality.

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Training and flexible working are the keys to staff retention

Training and flexible working are the keys to staff retention

Firms are more likely to improve levels of staff retention if they increase their investment in training, and introduce more flexible working practices, according to a survey by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and recruitment company Indeed. The survey, of over 1,000 businesspeople across all sizes or organisation and sectors, shows that just under half (42 percent) of businesses would invest in training and developing their staff in order to increase staff retention, while 38 percent would look to introduce flexible working practices, from flexible hours and remote working to job-sharing.

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