SKILLS SHORTAGE IN THE WATER INDUSTRY

摘要

In Australia, issues of an ageing workforce and skills shortages are affecting most businesses now and are projected to worsen. These issues are particularly severe in the water industry and will not be 'solved' by the current global financial crisis. Responding to these issues requires strategies around recruitment and retention. These are likely to include increasing the number of graduates, introducing flexible work practices and encouraging workers to delay retirement. The water industry is aware of these issues and there is already a range of strategies being developed including WICD (Water Industry Capacity Development) and the Water Industry Skills Taskforce. These initiatives deserve the support of water professionals and organisations.rnThis paper includes:rn1. An introduction to skills shortage, labour shortage and ageing workforce issues;rn2. Two simple models of the labour force within an industry and related to an employer;rn3. General strategies suggested by these models;rn4. A summary of activities within the water industry to address ageing workforce and skills shortages issues.rnEarlier versions of this paper were presented at industry conferences (Ladson and Austin, 2009a,b).