Workforce

About: Workforce is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 32140 publications have been published within this topic receiving 449850 citations. The topic is also known as: labour force & labor force.

The rise of the "just-in-time workforce": on-demand work, crowdwork and labour protection in the "gig-economy"

Abstract: The so-called “gig-economy” has been growing exponentially in numbers and importance in recent years but its impact on labour rights has been largely overlooked. Forms of work in the “gig-economy” include “crowdwork”, and “work- on-demand via apps”, under which the demand and supply of working activities is matched online or via mobile apps. These forms of work can provide a good match of job opportunities and allow flexible working schedules. However, they can also pave the way to a severe commodification of work. This paper discusses the implications of this commodification and advocates the full recognition of activities in the gig-economy as “work”.

Decentralization's impact on the health workforce: Perspectives of managers, workers and national leaders

Abstract: Designers and implementers of decentralization and other reform measures have focused much attention on financial and structural reform measures, but ignored their human resource implications. Concern is mounting about the impact that the reallocation of roles and responsibilities has had on the health workforce and its management, but the experiences and lessons of different countries have not been widely shared. This paper examines evidence from published literature on decentralization's impact on the demand side of the human resource equation, as well as the factors that have contributed to the impact. The elements that make such an impact analysis exceptionally complex are identified. They include the mode of decentralization that a country is implementing, the level of responsibility for the salary budget and pay determination, and the civil service status of transferred health workers. The main body of the paper is devoted to examining decentralization's impact on human resource issues from three different perspectives: that of local health managers, health workers themselves, and national health leaders. These three groups have different concerns in the human resource realm, and consequently, have been differently affected by decentralization processes. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding three key concerns that national authorities and international agencies should give prompt attention to. They are (1) defining the essential human resource policy, planning and management skills for national human resource managers who work in decentralized countries, and developing training programs to equip them with such skills; (2) supporting research that focuses on improving the knowledge base of how different modes of decentralization impact on staffing equity; and (3) identifying factors that most critically influence health worker motivation and performance under decentralization, and documenting the most cost-effective best practices to improve them. Notable experiences from South Africa, Ghana, Indonesia and Mexico are shared in an annex.

The History and Growth of Vocational Education in America, Second Edition

Abstract: This publication provides a current synthesis of the history, philosophy, legislation, and organisational/curricular structure of vocational and technical education in the USA. Topics examined in detail include gender, ethnicity, special needs populations, and the increasingly important role of vocational education in meeting the training needs of the ageing workforce as they approach retirement. Part one contains an overview of the origins of vocational education in America and the influential leaders in vocational education curriculum development. Part two describes the effect of land-grant institutions on the professional growth of vocational education, other selected factors that influenced the development of vocational education, and the evolution of federal legislation that has fashioned vocational education. Part three examines the participation of women and special-needs populations in vocational education and part four looks at vocational instructional programs, vocational education teachers and vocational student organisations. Part five examines the effectiveness of the school-to-work initiative, the phenomena of the ageing workforce, and the globalisation of career and technical education. The chapters are: Early vocational education in America; Leaders who influenced vocational education curriculum development; Impact of land-grant institutions on the professional growth of vocational education; Selected factors that influenced vocational education development; Legislative history and the changing workforce; Participation of women in vocational education; Participation of special needs populations in vocational education; Vocational instructional programs and vocational education teachers; Development of vocational student organizations; The effectiveness of School-to-Work; The aging workforce; Globalization of career and technical education.

Eroding the Core: Flexibility and the Re-Segmentation of the South African Labour Market:

Abstract: Drawing on two case studies of the growth of casualisation and subcontracting in South Africa, this paper shows how 'flexiwork' is being introduced at the same time as South Africa's first democratically elected government is trying to extend basic core rights and standards to large sectors of the workforce that have in the past been excluded from the core labour regulation regime. This shift by employers towards 'flexiwork', in combination with high unemployment and the legacy of a sharply racially segmented labour market under apartheid, is re-segmenting a dual labour market. An increasingly polarised labour market is emerging, consisting of a growing number of marginalised 'flexiworkers' next to a 'core' workforce of black and white workers who increasingly also feel the threat of insecurity. The use of flexible labour is partly a response to a well-organised labour movement which has won shopfloor rights over the past decade and has succeeded in getting these rights entrenched in law. Although the lab...

Integrating occupational safety and health information into vocational and technical education and other workforce preparation programs.

Abstract: The high rates of injury among young workers are a pressing public health issue, especially given the demand of the job market for new workers. Young and new workers experience the highest rates of occupational injuries of any age group. Incorporating occupational safety and health (OSH) information into the more than 20 000 vocational and other workforce preparation programs in the United States might provide a mechanism for reducing work-related injuries and illnesses among young and new workers. We assessed the status of including OSH information or training in workforce preparation programs and found there is an inconsistent emphasis on OSH information.