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• Mary

  1 posts

  People are the core

  30 April 2008 at 2:19pm

  Just want to make the point that individuals perform best when doing what they love. That's Business Entrepreneurship 101.
  So how can a govenrment tell people what they should learn? what fields they must train in? and that fitting in with some stranger's idea of a good business is going to be best for our indivdual or the econmy's future?
  I wonder if this whole exercise is a bit futile.
  It is my right to self detemination to work in the field I think is best for me; not to train to be a slave.
  Employers should only survive if their business is so good that people want to be involved; not that people train to be fodder...And then once in the job, upskilling and training might be desirable.
  The focus of this skills strategy needs to be people, not the economy and not 'business', or nothing will work short of fascism, eg, forcing people to live and work in certain regions and where there are 'jobs'.
  Remember most businesses don't survive for the average person's working life span....so why plan an economy around something that is likely to fail?
  Enthuse people; make the economy dynamic.

• Stan Theron

  2 posts

  Re: People are the core

  30 April 2008 at 3:47pm

  Mary has a point welltaken. However there are some basics that the most entrepeneurs wille also need: how to learn better and love learning, a sufficient level of English, numeracy and Computer literacy. The latter is no optional extra in the modern world and globalisation of business and expertise and it is short-sighted of the state removing Computer studies at level 2, we are building a ladder of computer literacy that starts on the 3rd floor but folk have to bring their own ladder to get from "ground zero" to Level 3!
  Other basic personal, inter-personal and entrepeneural skills will stand independent and employed workers in good stead but some of this is not easily assessed on paper - NZQA style!!

• Monique Dawson

  2 posts

  Re: People are the core

  3 May 2008 at 10:34am

  Hi Mary
  
  I think you've raised probably one of the most important issues we are trying to grapple with through the strategy - how can we support every worker to work to the best of their potential? Education and training is always going to be a key part of this -but the question is the balance between technical skills (which - as you've said might become obsolete if industries change or businesses close) and other skills and attributes that will help people move in and out of jobs successfully (Stan's point).
  
  So do we have an education and training system that responds to the preferences and needs of the individual student? Or do we try to direct people to the jobs that are most needed in the economy? Or is this all a bit "chicken and the egg"? People are probably going to keep making job and career choices based on what they know about wages and conditions; the best wages and conditions are likely to be in the more profitable/successful industries and firms (likely to be the industries and firms driving economic growth); and firm success and profit is going to increasingly depend on the way that firms support individuals to love what they do and work to the best of their potential.
  
  The role of government in all of this is an open question - and may change from time to time depending on what's going on in the economy. In the context of the Skills Strategy we think that the first thing we need to do is work with unions, employer groups, industry associations and training providers to understand how the whole system is working to see if there are some things we should be doing to make everything work better.
  
  We do think there is a need to improve the information available to people who are making career and job choices because there's evidence that a lot of people are moving in and out of jobs too quickly - we're particularly concerned about the people who are spending a lot of time and money getting qualifications for jobs that they only stay in for a short time - if at all.
  
  All great issues to discuss!
  
  cheers
  
  Monique
  Programme Director
  Unified Skills Strategy

  Last edited: 3 May 2008 at 10:47am

• Vineet

  1 posts

  Re: People are the core

  13 May 2008 at 2:24pm

  To,
  Mr.Monique
  Programme Director
  Unified Skills Strategy
  
  Workers (employees) need actions from great people like you. who has power to change rules not just great thoughts.
  
  Thanks
  Vineet
  0211798191

• Dr Large Trousers

  1 posts

  Re: People are the core

  5 August 2008 at 10:37am

  .

  Last edited: 5 August 2008 at 10:43am

• Troy Manley

  1 posts

  Re: People are the core

  11 September 2008 at 8:14am

  Dear Monique, et al,
  I would very much like to be involved in this strategy. Currently as a facilitator for a company that enables the under-employed seek and get into sustainable work I find our current level of literacy woefully inadequate for the requirements of business.
  I've been on both sides of the fence and realised that if I wanted to be able to make better choices for myself and my family I would have to continue my learning. I didn't have the opportunity to participate in any workplace strategies but have witnessed others who have had such opportunities. The results in increased confidence, a raising of the self esteem to levels previously never attained by those people is phenomenal, and encouraging.
  You said it best ... "how can we support every worker to work to the best of their potential?". Support every worker so they maybe able to make more significant decisions that positively impact on their lives and the lives of their families, friends and whanau.