Posts Tagged ‘Workforce Projects’
National Workforce Development Fund, Skills Australia, NCVER, Skills for All, news, views, blogs
National Workforce Development Fund - On Wednesday 10 August 2011, the National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF) opened with $558 million for 2011-12 to 2014-15 and the due date for applications is 12 noon 30 September 2011*…
Putting skills at the heart of the economy - Anticipated by leaders in skills and workforce development and coming at a crucial time, the Putting skills at the heart of the economy 2011 conference held on 21 July 2011 at The Crown Conference Centre, Melbourne, was very well attended with a great line up of speakers…
2011 NCVER No Frills Conference - I haven’t missed many NCVER conferences over the years and I’m glad that I attended the 20th No Frills Conference in Coffs Harbour this week as it gave me an opportunity to take some time out to think of new initiatives and identify ideas to explore with others…
Skills for Prosperity and the 2011 Federal Budget – On the 3rd May 2011, Skills Australia launched their most significant paper to date on workforce development titled Skills for Prosperity A roadmap for Vocational Education and Training…
Evidence based approach to workforce and client demand - Increasingly you are being asked to provide evidence of demand for jobs and skills that are linked to your contracts, funding and proposals as well as your programs and services, and that reach specific outcomes and targets…
Skills for All and Opportunities for You - Skills for All, the Strategic Direction for Vocational Education and Training in South Australia 2011-2014 has been published and was great weekend reading with the pink highlighter pen out…
Congratulations to:
Skillsbook website providers a home for credentials – use Skillsbook to build skills profiles for RPL, profile job roles, undertake Training Needs Analysis and build competency frameworks. Download Skillsbook for iphone too.
RDNS Education Centre for being shortlisted for small training provider of the year at the South Australian Training Awards – see you on the night, 2nd September 2011 at the Adelaide Convention Centre.
National Crime Check – new website launched where you can submit your police check online.
Australian VET Leaders – potential, emerging and current Join the 400 strong members of this LinkedIn community discussing VET issues and opportunities. Are you an Australian VET Leader?
Training Needs Analysis Workshops Recently Service Skills Australia presented a professional development opportunity ideal for practitioners facilitating internal Training Needs Analysis (TNA), working with teams, enterprises and organisations, up to major projects such as large sporting complexes, around Australia. Workforce BluePrint was contracted to facilitate the workshops and Wendy Perry and we received feedback like,
Thank you for the material from the recent workshop on TNA. It is most help full and appreciated. Can I say that I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and as it gave me a better insight into the value of TNA and its execution.
Here are all the comments from participants.
SMART Business Association The SMART Business Association website is being designed and it will be the site to be on if you run a business in Southern Adelaide or do business in the South – all with searchable categories and extras to help you to grow your business and local market. Get a listing as part of your membership for only $50, email Garry Triffett for your membership form.
Latest Presentations and Workshops Workshops, conferences, professional development activities on leading edge topics. Bookings are currently being taken into 2012 – get in quickly with your preferred dates!
Customer Friendly Flying and Travel in Australia
Queen’s birthday long weekend in Rockhampton
Hobby blogging as featured in SA Defence Business Magazine
Think Food – Think Consistency, Quality and Trust as featured for in business magazine
Barossa Valley – can we have it all plus a mini break?
Lazy Ballerina, K1, Three Brothers Arms, Longview and Royal Oak
Succeeding in your first full time job
What have we been up to?
- Development of workforce plans and competency frameworks for various clients across Australia in the Agriculture, Banking and Finance, Building and Construction, Civil Construction, Community Services, Contact Centre, Defence, Disability, Education, Employment Services, Energy, Events, Food and Wine, Government, Health, Higher Education, Manufacturing, Mining and Resources, Telecommunications, Tourism, Vocational Education and Training (VET), and Water sectors
- Consultant for the design and development of Ergon Energy’s Capability Framework, 2011
- Project management of the South Australian Contact Centre Survey for ATA and the Department of Trade and Economic Development, 2011
- Project management of the WorkLife Balance Innovations Project for SafeWork SA including facilitation of Masterclasses, 2011
- Facilitation of the Women influencing Defence and Resources Industries (WiDRI) Community of Practice, 2011
- Recognition of Prior Learning Project for Regional Development Australia, Kangaroo Island, June 2011
- Skills Australia information session, May 2011
- DFEEST SA Works Strategic Planning Workshop, May 2011
- Defence Teaming Centre networking, May 2011
- Workforce development and planning workshop for small-medium sized enterprises (SMEs), Sunraysia Institute of TAFE, Mildura, May 2011
- ACPET and WEA networking event, May 2011
- Workforce plan for South West TAFE in Victoria, May 2011
- South Australian Skills and Workforce Forum, April 2011
- Women influencing Defence and Resource Industries (WiDRI) Community of Practice launch, April 2011
- Women in Leadership, CEDA luncheon, April 2011
- Can we have it all? Regional Development Australia, Barossa Valley, April 2011
- SMART Friday Night drinks at the Vic, March 2011
- Think Food, Food SA, March 2011
- Work Life Balance Masterclass and Tools project, March 2011
- Workforce planning for service success, Jobs Australia, March 2011 and May 2011
- Cellar Door Wine Festival, February 2011
- RPL system design, February 2011
- SMART business breakfast, February 2011
- Workforce planning for local government, Queanbeyan Local Government Association NSW, February 2011
- Development a regional workforce plans and client analysis for Job Service Australia and Disability Employment Service providers, 2011
- Regional workforce plan for the Mid North and Yorke Peninsula in South Australia, January 2011
- Australia Day mini break at Port Elliot, January 2011
- Tour Down Under, Willunga stage finish, January 2011
- Business and workforce profile for Kangaroo Island, January 2011
Contact us…
The very best way to contact us is via 1. email wendy@workforceblueprint.com.au , 2 text 0416 150 491, 3. Call 0416 150 491, 4. call our office number 08 8387 9800, 5. fax 08 8387 9820.
If you do not wish to receive copies of our enews please send an email to wendy@workforceblueprint.com.au with “Thanks but no thanks” in the subject line – we’ll understand.
How to build a Competency Framework
First of all why do you want to build one?
Often it’s because people ask for training and development that may not be directly related to their job role, it may be dealt with ad hoc and often training needs aren’t aggregated at an organisational, project or team level.
Another reason could be that you are looking for an evidence based approach to assessing skill level and performance, you may be recruiting, looking at career progression or you may want to demonstrate your workforce capability for a tender, proposal, project or industry awards.
Whatever the reason, I suggest you start with the end in mind – what are you wanting as the out and outcomes and then work your way back.
Secondly, who needs to be involved to validate and who needs to be briefed and kept up to date with the framework as it develops. Communication and consultation is absolutely critical so work out who are your audiences, what do you need to say, when and how often, and what communication methods will you use including existing communication channels. Utilising a group of people representing their job roles, especially if they are well networked in their area is a good way to go. Help them to know the purpose of the framework, what it will be used for and their knowledge, experience and understanding of the job roles in the framework to validate the competency and skills profiles.
Thirdly, think about the structure which needs to mirror the organisation or client (could be internal or external like a project) you are working with. I like the structure of core competencies i.e. everybody needs these, functional competencies including leadership i.e. some people need different functions, and job specific competencies i.e. skills that make 1 job role different to another. Draw a diagram of the competency framework and have the map to relevant skills sitting behind it.
Fourthly, what can we use the framework for? Training and development needs analysis,performance management, competency based job descriptions and recruitment, career and succession planning, evidence against industry standards and for tenders, proposals, marketing and promotions.
A final word on who needs a framework – well it’s up to you! I have developed a framework for a 1 person business up to a government department with 43 000 people because they had very real business reasons to build one in the first place.
Workforce Development funding
So where to look for funding opportunities to support your workforce development project or training of your staff? Here’s a couple of sites and links you might find useful with programs funded by the Australian Government:
Critical Skills Investment Fund
Clean Sustainable Skills Package
Teaching and Learning Capital Fund
Workplace English Language and Literacy Program
Industry Training Strategies Program
Applications for Training Grants
Family Centred Employment Project
Social Enterprise Development and Investment Fund
IBSA supporting Workforce Development
Ausindustry Programs and Grants
Enterprise Connect Services and Grants
Post your links of funds and grants you know of and look out for a new blog post with state and territory specific funding information soon.
Clever Brainstorming Techniques
I’m always looking for innovative ways to think up new projects; about problems and answers; and to understand workforce issues and opportunities.
Recently I came across Speed Thinking by Ken Hudson which has 4 steps:
1. Start – brainstorm 9 ideas in 2 minutes (individually or in a group)
2. Evaluate – in 2 minutes pick the best idea in 2 minutes
3. Build – make this 1 idea 9 times better in 2 minutes
4. Action – identify 9 action steps in 2 minutes
Blue Ocean Strategy by W Chan Kim & Renee Mawborgne 2005 aims to create value innovation with their 4 actions framework:
- Reduce - Which factors should be reduced?
- Create - Which factors should be created?
- Raise – Which factors should be raised?
- Eliminate - Which of the factors should be eliminated?
Think Better by Tim Hurson says productive thinking in action starts with:
- What’s the itch?
-What’s the impact?
-What’s the information
– What do you know and wonder?
-Who’s involved?
-What the vision?
Thinking differently doesn’t often come naturally and using these techniques moves you away from looking at things in the same old way.