Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay Example for Free

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce EssayQuestiona) Discuss the opportunities and challenges of having access to a broader forgeforce. resolventThe Workforce is the total number of a countrys population employed in the armed forces and civilian ponders, electropositive those unemployed people who be actually seeking paying movement. In other words, workforce in addition refers to Total number of employee (usually excluding the management) on an employers payroll. It may also mean all those that ar avail adequate for work. Workers may be unionized, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a coordinating consumption in organizing ballots of the workforce, and strike action. As the excogitationion becomes globalize, the workforce in industries/companies become diversifies. The broader workforce feature up from employees that come from different age groups, race, beliefs, gender etc.OpportunitiesProvide prep be on core competencies fake facts of life is deprivati iodined to address the take ups of different levels of workers, including accomplishment directed at entry-level and less sure-handed staff, workers with degrees non directly relevant to afterschool, and workers pursuing credentials. We behindnot afford to ignore the workers who stay only a soon time or work part-time, because they make up too large a portion of our workforce. They strike some minimum level of acquaintance in the core competencies homeulate to work in afterschool programs. Moreover, providing upbringing and supporting pursuit of a credential is an excellent way to foster an attachment to the field.Expand tint drop behinding and master key developing opportunities Quality information and lord development opportunities atomic number 18 needed to be expanded for all workers, including encour aging programs to give workers paid t ime off to attend training. Another need is for apostrophizees such(prenominal) as distance learning to summation access to training in rural areas. We also should establish a core group of high quality, recognise, and approved trainers and promote ways to share the knowl coast of undergo afterschool staff, for example, through mentoring younger staff.Provide afterschool/ call acceptess work content in higher information curricula We need to work with institutions of higher re action to provide much than(prenominal) course work relevant to youth work and afterschool that could be accessed by workers and students pursuing credentials or a degree. We also need to work with these institutions to address the postulate of the adult learners in our workforce who would be candidates for these courses.Advocate for funding for training and professional development Policymakers at all levels need to provide more funding specifically for training and professional development for af terschool staff through supports such as scholarships and loan forgiveness. In advocating for such funding, the afterschool field needs to highlight the connection amongst positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschoola goal endorsed by policymakersand the qualifications of the staff that provide afterschool services.Provide human resources staff with the training and resources they need to recruit and hire Although the focus of this throw off and resulting report is on the current afterschool workforce, its difficult not to consider the need for effective recruiting and hiring techniques in afterschool programs. A programs workforce begins with, and its success reflects, the recruiting and hiring of employees who are adequately matched to a programs core competencies and needs.ChallengesDeveloping specific strategies for reaching the target populations in that location are people 18- 59 historic period old in the population who are all needed in the workplace and who n eed the education/training to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. The challenge is to develop securities industrying campaigns and services that focus on each of these groups, their specific education/training needs, and their need for user friendly access, delivery, and support dusts. Further, in that respect are significant permutations in the gender, ethnicity, and work experience within these populations. Studying these shifts identifies targeted opportunities for increased participation and support. The lack of clear, systemic, and exhaust information continues to be one of the major barriers to these populations. Several recent studies suggest the lack of useful tire market information contribute to the lack of participation.Developing a series of strategic alliances with business/industrial associations, professional associations, and assessment organizations fosterage curriculum and competency standards are no pertinaciouser within the restore domain of the academy. Such areas as education content, achievement, and application are all reflections of constant evolutions in the world external to higher education. It is no longer possible for free standing independent education and training organizations to unilaterally maintain currency with the rapidly ever-changing prays of the untested prudence. Curriculum is no longer fixed, singular, or limited in scope. Competency standards are evolving at increase rates as are the link up assessments. Further, the expansion of multiple employer related delivery options as well as the evolution in patience recognized credentials suggest the need for formal alliances with external partners.Employer AssociationsThree fundamental shifts have jolted the employer world 1) the rapid changes in technology and productivity and the resulting impact on workforce skills, 2)the dramatic shift in demographics with the loss of skilled workers and the lack of skilled entrants, and 3) the obstacle iden tifying effective educational pipelines for skilled applicants. both employers and educators are looking to industrial associations as partners in developing the definition of wise skills and competencies, the related curriculum, the undeniable assessments and, the resulting credentials. The exit towards coalescency (tuning) is increasingly dependent on association partnerships.Effective associations will have systems of unbroken improvement that will ensure alignment between their education and training partners as well as their employer membership. This communication system opens up thepipeline for skilled workers and provides a communication system for internships, work establish learning, and ultimate support for system of haves within the industry. The primary purpose of these alliances is to ensure both the continuous alignment and portability of donnish content and outcomes with the constantly changing expectations of both the employer and academic world.Industry Reco gnized Certifications (IRC)Opportunities for more formal alliances occur with associations that sponsor formal industry certifications. These stomach industry recognition of credentials and their accompanying competencies. They offer the individual portability of their recognized credentials and the institution a means of aligning curriculum, competencies, and assessments. An exceptional opportunity exists in providing academic credit to students enrolled in programs resulting in industry recognized certifications. Students tenanted in technical training would be more inclined to stay in a program if they receive industry recognized credentials as well as specific credits toward academic or technical mate degrees. This creates a unique prospect to engage students in seamless system of lifelong continuous learning. The prospects for long term strategic alliances with industry associations are enormous and offer great marketing benefits.Alliances with Professional and foreign Orga nizations Forming strategic alliances with professional organizations and accreditors ensures both alignment of curricula and outcome standards as well as ensuring the portability of the credits and credentials. These alliances are becoming increasingly recognized as significant pipelines for qualified professional applicants and they offer exceptional marketing opportunities to both student applicants and industry.Development of a atomic number 53 Stop access to the new economyA one stop centers is needed for individuals to 1) get labor market information most high betroth/high harvest-tide industries, 2) obtain available skill standards and/or IRCs, 3) accredit their past training, education, and experience, 4) gain advice and instruction on entering post vicarious education, 5) receive assistance with entrance to recognized academic and training programs, and, 6) get assistance with placement within the industry. The major problem with the labor market adjustment system in the United States is a completely bifurcated and user unfriendly information, counseling, advising, crediting, accessing, financing, and education/training system. twain the unemployed, re-entering adults and first time students are highly quick learners who are looking for the access portal to the new economy. Stagnate outdated agencies, policies and systems are simply incapable of delivering such services. It is time to develop a new on-line system that would ensure all citizens ongoing and easy access to understandable and timely job matches, labor market information, and credentials needed for the new economy. All post secondary institutions have a unique opportunity to participate in the building of this broader set of services into a publically unbiased system.Ability to offer, give a perception of and have the reputation of providing a Guarantee This is the outgrowth of the need to close the loop between employers, students, and educators. The primary question is does the i nstitutions system of identified learning outcomes equalize the academic and technical standards of the new economy and, then, does it ensure that every tweak meets those standards? This means establishing standards, curriculum, and assessments that achieve these levels and ensuring that every graduate meets them. When substandard performance is recognized there is a system of remediation and ultimately the failure to graduate if the student simply cannot meet the institutional standards. Some would add that for any student hired which the employer believes does not meet the standard, the school would take them back and remediate them at no cost.While this would come with a cost, it is far more entailmentant to develop a reputation with employers for producing graduates that meet the industry standards for tomorrows economy. While this important for employers, it is imperative for students who want to be certain that the education/training they are engaged in will in fact prepare them for the new economy. Action on this challenge represents a fundamental shift away from the old system of education opportunity. For the future, it is about highly mobile students accessing a system that ensures their achievement of the competencies required for the new economy. Americas exceptionally diverse post secondary education system has the capacity and commitment to implement this new relationship.(b) What extend Malaysia has benefited and also able to develop own Knowl ring worker.The Malaysian labor force is generally educated. This is because youths who enter the labor market would have undergone at least 11 years of schooling. Furthermore, the proportion of labor force with secondary and third education has risen over the years, making them easier to be trained and to learn new skills. Nonetheless, it has been argued that there is a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia. This shortfall in skilled labor was believed to be one of the causes for the tightness in the M alaysian labor market during the 1980s and 1990s, alongside a mismatch between demand for and supply of labor. Malaysias response to this matter is one of the reasons for the nations focus on human capital development in recent years.Since the mid-1990s, Malaysia has entered into a phase where new emphasis and demand for high technology and knowledge- ground industries were in place. A change in the Malaysian stinting policies was, because, needed in order to maintain the nations competitiveness. Knowledge-based economy is defined as one that is directly based on the outturn, distribution and use of knowledge and information towards growth in high technology investments, high-technology industries, more highly skilled labor and associated productivity gains.Malaysia adopted this definition into its Knowledge-based Economy conquer Plan, which defines a knowledge-based economy as an economy where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an ever-increasing and important role in gen erating and sustaining growth. The Master Plan was authentic to provide a strategic framework outlining the required changes to the fundamentals of the Malaysian economy. Since the concept of a knowledge-based economy revolves around knowledge and information as the key contributors to economic growth and development, the convey towards a knowledge-based economy is expected to provide Malaysia with the necessary competitiveness in order to achieve a developed nation stance and meet the objectives of Vision 2020.Several reasons were given as to why Malaysia should move into the knowledge-based economy. First, the nation has lost its global competitiveness in attracting FDI when it fell from the 18th place in 1994 to the twenty-ninth spot in 2001, as reported the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, various years). Related to this is the increasing competition for the countrys products from other developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia that enjoy cheaper l abor and more abundant resources. This is surplusly true in the case of China, where it has been reported that cheaper and equal quality goods from this new economic power, primarily in labor intensive textiles, would bring about stiff competition to Malaysias merchandise goods in its domestic and international markets.Third, Malaysias economic policies have been affected by globalization and liberalization as barriers and protective walls that help sustain local industries are s brokenly removed and brought down. As a result, Malaysia, deal all other developing economies will have to search for new products and services that are feasible in the emerging global market where the distinction between local and world markets is bit by bit disappearing. Such goods and services like aircraft, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce, tourism and educational services and ICT industries are common in the knowledge-based industries.Fourth, as Malaysia strives to become a developed nation by the year 2020, this would result in its current edge in producing goods and services for the global market, which hinges on low wages, to be eroded. This is because its cost levels would approach those of developed countries. To reckon this anticipated escalating labor cost, Malaysia needs to ensure higher value is added to its products in order for its industries to remain viable. Thus, for Malaysia to be competitive, it must produce goods and services to compete at comparable levels as those in developed countries. Again, such high value-added is generally provided by knowledge-based industries.Fifth, Malaysia needs to move into more profitable and wealth-generating stages of production. In other words, it has to make its manufacturing sector more profitable. To do so, Malaysian firms have little choice but to move into the pre- production stage (which includes product conceptualization, research and design, prototyping etc) and/or post-production stage (packaging, branding, marketing, r etailing etc) of manufacturing, because there is less profit to be make from the core production process. These pre- and post-production stages also happen to be more knowledge-intensive compared to the existing core production process stage.Sixth, Malaysia needs to find new sources of growth in its economy as the old sources of growth have become less productive. A knowledge-based economy will provide some of these new sources of growth to enable Malaysia to sustain growth and dynamism. Finally, Malaysia needs to improve the contribution of the total factor productivity (TFP) in terms of improving the quality of workers, methods of doing things and other delivery activities (EPU, 2002 5).To what extend do Malaysia able to develop own knowledge worker?EducationAt the primary and secondary levels, some of the indicators for quality that tend to get ahead concerns have to do with the precept profession, the curriculum, and the grading of schools. The most severe concern is that of t eacher recruitment, salary, career path, work load and training. These concerns have discouraged many potentially good teachers from joining the profession. As regards the school curriculum, there are two sets of issues. The first has to do with content. The second set of issues deals with implementation of the curriculum, classroom size, expertise of teachers and courseware development. Overcrowding in urban schools can impede teach and learning, including the effective delivery of the curriculum. At the ordinal level, concerns centre in the first place on the issues of research, resources, faculty qualifications, and the quality of output. Some public institutions are not keen on be assessed and ranked by an external body. Consequently these institutions become less aware of their weaknesses. This lack of awareness about their performance does not contribute to accountability.The public requires detailed information on the performance of various institutions in order to have confidence in them. In terms of the use of ICT, the largest provider for programmes in schools is the government, mainly the Ministry of Education (MOE). MIMOS, MDC and the private sector, including parent-teacher associations, are also involved. Some observations are made on the current trends and development of the ICT programmes in schools At this stage, ICT programmes at the school level are still heavily centered on infrastructure or procurement of hardware. Software (content development for courseware) and people ware (training) in the ICT programmes are more urgent. The hardware focus alone is inadequate to create the environment for e-education which can enhance teaching and learning and accommodate life-long learning. The software and people ware aspects that are necessary for e-education have to be considered and expanded. There is a lack of co-ordination among the various agencies, namely MOE, MIMOS and MDC, in their supporting activities for the ICT programmes. Redundan cy and wastage of resources can be avoided if there is conk out co-ordination. In many schools, computers are often locked up in a special room or a lab, impeding their use for teaching and learning. The class time-table often does not include time for on the job(p) or playing with computers. The costly equipment forces teachers in charge of the room to be cautious in allowing access, and this adds to the difficulty in utilizing the computers. Most teachers have not had sufficient training to maximize the use of computers to enhance teaching and learning, and often merely impose traditional methods of drilling and rote learning using computers. This is mainly due(p) to the emphasis on ICT literacy in teacher training programmes. Due to the lack of a standard approach in the utilization of computers, student contact hours with computers cannot be established. Teachers take charge of ICT centers in schools on a voluntary basis. Most of them do not have any formal training in ICT . There is often no technician who can assist the teachers with maintenance.Public higher education institutions, especially the universities, have been expanding their ICT programmes, especially over the past five years. Computer labs at the faculty level and computer centers for the university have been initiated and are in progress. ICTs capacity to contribute to greater efficiency of work and resource management has not been fully exploited. E-mail facilities are not being maximized, and downloading lecture notes from the web or interacting with lecturers via e-mail or the web is still uncommon. The Internet is not being adequately accessed for lecture content. Another issue requiring caution is the need to develop quality private education. Private education in Malaysia is a relatively developed sector, especially at the higher education level.As regards technical education, the system at the upper secondary level needs to address a number of issues greater efforts should be made to improve hands-on skills among technical school students. The Technical Education Department has already introduced the circumstanceual learning delivery system, which basically recognizes that learning is a complex and multi-faceted process. Such learning goes far beyond theory, drill-oriented, stimulus and response teaching methodologies.It was introduced in Secondary Technical Schools in 1998 to help all students master higher-level academic and work skills. commission based on this strategy is being structured to help students apply their knowledge more effectively. Greater efforts are required to improve the links between schools and industry. Currently the School Advisory Committees, established in all schools, comprise representatives from industries, higher education, Parent-Teacher Associations and Head Teachers who advise schools on curriculum and equipment. The Career Guidance, Industrial participation and Placement Unit in every school also provide career gui dance and placement of students in industries. These should be further improved.B. Skills Training and RetrainingMalaysia currently has several drawbacks with regards to the education and skills profile required for a K-based economy. It lacks an adequate pool of knowledge workers, sufficiently high enrolment in the sciences at tertiary levels, and a broad base of workers with minimum literacy, learning ability and skills. Educational reform takes time spot the recruitment of foreign endowment fund is merely a temporary measure. An effective response would be to train managers and workers to cope with the new demands of the K-based economy. Private and public sector managers need to be trained to reengineer their organizations into learning organizations which can attract, retain and develop K-workers to make their organizations more competitive, service-oriented and high-octane.To increase the quality and relevance of skills, greater autonomy and tractableness should be given t o public sector training institutions to make them more responsive to the rapidly changing labor market requirements of a K-based economy. To minimize job dislocation resulting from the transition to the K-based economy, bridging courses need to be form for displaced workers, especially those who are old, uneducated, and un-trainable. The power of the Internet should also be harnessed to establish net communities for citizens with special needs and interests to interact among them and with the government.For the economy as a whole, there is also a need for an efficient and speedy labor market information system to help ensure effective planning to meet the manpower demands of the K-based economy. This may require the establishment of a specialist study group, improved career counseling, and a directory of training institutions. In addition to providing basic education for all, in a K-based economy it is essential to mental strain Lifelong Learning and Education to help citizens co pe with expanding knowledge and rapid change. The challenges of Lifelong Learning and Education in the context of the K-based economy include the following1. Producing a highly skilled, knowledge-rich workforce.2. Reducing unemployment and re-skilling the workforce.3. Addressing and adjusting to the needs of an aging society.C. Global TalentA world shortage of high level manpower is likely to increase the brain drain from Malaysia. While the high growth East Asian economies compete for Malaysian gift, particularly in ICT the more serious long-term competitors are the advanced K-based economies of the US and Europe which suffer serious shortages of ICT personnel. It is estimated that Europe and the US alone need two million more ICT workers by 2002. Recent changes to immigration laws enacted to attract foreign talent to the US have serious implications for Asia and for Malaysias efforts to retain domestic talent and attract foreign, particularly ICT talent. A Bill passed by US Cong ress in late 2000 allows US firms to recruit 600,000 foreigners, a third of them from India. The three-year programme takes effect from 2001. The US recruitment drive occurs in the context of a world-wide shortage of ICT talent, with Asian countries too unable to meet their domestic demand. Despite this the best and brightest Asians (including Malaysians), are likely to be lured by better wages, work conditions, occupational mobility and the quality of life in the US and Europe.This brain drain has already begun, with European and US recruiters scouring Asian universities for talent. This situation signals several dangers for Malaysia. Firstly, like the Asian countries, Malaysia too is likely to lose young graduates from local and foreign universities to firms in the US and Europe. Secondly, experienced Malaysians may also be recruited, with the Malaysian labor market serving as a training ground for developed K-based economies. Thirdly, since the Asian shortage and US demand will d eplete the international talent pool, Malaysias option of utilizing foreign talent will be limited. Foreigners who are recruited to work in Malaysia are also likely to treat Malaysia as a training ground for eventual entry and closure in the US and Europe.There are several ways Malaysia can cope with this situation One current advantage Malaysia has is that except for Singapore, other countries in the region including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, all of which also have aspirant ICT plans, have not moved fast enough to recruit foreign talent. Moving quickly to change immigration rules and ease recruitment of foreign talent will give Malaysia a competitive edge in recruitment. Secondly, of all countries in the region, Malaysia probably has the most balanced set of attractions in terms of wages, low costs, quality of life, stability and safety. This advantage should be exploited to the fullest. Thirdly, Malaysias rich and tolerant multi-ethnic inheritance makes it a ttractive to a wide spectrum of expatriates, whether Caucasians, Middle-Easterners, East Asians or South Asians. Unlike its competitors in the region, Malaysia can therefore alleviate the problem of the world-wide shortage by recruiting from a wide variety of countries and labor markets.The government itself has made several clear efforts to recruit foreign talent. In 1995-98 the Returning Scientists Programme managed by the Ministry of Science attracted 93 overseas-based foreign and Malaysian scientists on short-term contracts to local institutions. But their high wages posed a financial strain and contributed to wage inequities vis-a-vis local scientists.Recognizing the need for talent, the Returning Scientists Programme was revived in early 2001, and the recent national Budget provided incentives to encourage Malaysian experts abroad who have the required expertise to return and serve the nation. Income remitted within two years from the date of arrival will be exempted from inco me tax. two cars registered in the country of origin for at least sise months will also be exempted from import duty and sales tax, while the husbands/wives and children of Malaysian citizens will now be given PR status within six months of the date of arrival. Previously, husbands who were non-citizens were not entitled to PR status, while non-citizen wives could only apply for PR after five years residence in Malaysia.The programme took effect from 1 January 2001. Under this programme, six fields of expertise and skills have been identified, i.e. IT, Science and Technology, Industry, Finance and Accounting, Arts, and Medicine and Health.