This paper was presented to a meeting of the Wellington Exchange, an international group of higher education officials, in December 2008. One of the topics of the meeting was around the issue of possible skills shortages emerging as a result of demographic trends, with the ageing of the population of developed countries. The paper argues that this…

Discusses employment of women in various countries, including policies, institutions, and plans. (JOW)

A series of articles looks at computerization and unions in Australia, France, and India; bargaining agreements about technological innovation in India, the United Kingdom, and the United States; and the effects of technology on the labor force in the Federal Republic of Germany, Japan, and the United States. (SK)

In the globalized world economy three types of jobs are emerging: routine production, in-person service, and symbolic analysis. In Australia, routine production is still the largest category, females outnumber males in service, and only one in five are symbolic analysts, predominantly male. Vocational education and training must change focus and…

It is proposed that Canadian universities are "alien" to women because they are dominated by men, have a large proportion of faculty who are not Canadian citizens, and are underutilizing the talents of the female half of the nation's population. Comparisons are made between the Canadian and Australian situations. (MSE)

Using 1990 survey data on New South Wales (Australia) universities, this study examined women's location and status within the organizational hierarchy. Results are reported and some issues surrounding women's relative absence in central decision-making management positions are explored. Discussion is set within the context of feminist research on…

Because of attitudes and policies, women academics are clustered in service rather than career areas of their professions. The social and academic results of this underrepresentation include the loss of valuable contributions from women. Policy areas needing change are employment conditions, inclusion in decision making, and child care. (MSE)

The "market" is not a natural phenomenon but a social relationship. Growing gaps in income distribution and changes in employment patterns are dramatically increasing inequality. Vocational and adult educators accept too readily the claim that training can change the economic environment. (SK)

In the 1990s in Australia, women will comprise one-third to one-half of medical graduates. If the medical profession is to take full advantage of the skills of all its graduates, significant changes in opportunities for women must occur, including restructuring the male-oriented medical research and teaching professions. (MSE)

An analysis of the economic returns of education in Australia finds a rising need for education at a time of diminishing apparent returns. It is proposed that the notions of credentialism and education as a positional good provide a better explanation for this phenomenon than does the human capital approach. (MSE)

The report on women with non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) in the Australian labor force was prepared to review the experience and needs of this population in recent years and to examine the various available sources of information. The first section reviews the standard statistical sources and their research methodologies. The second and…

Clerks, salespersons, plant and machine operators and laborers, and related workers, defined as operative workers, currently form more than half the work force. They share the following characteristics: comparatively low earnings, limited qualifications, often employed in industries subject to economic restructuring and sensitive to economic…

This report discusses trends in the way Australian families are forming and re-forming, factors determining families' access to income, and proposals regarding reform of the income transfer system. The current shape of families in Australia is described in terms of a shift to marriage at a later age; leaving-home behavior of young people; the…

The advantages and disadvantages of college mergers are examined in the context of Australia's experience, and the opportunities offered by cooperative rather than adversarial change are emphasized. (MSE)

This paper has been written as a supporting paper to "A Bridge to the Future: Australia's National Strategy for Vocational Education and Training 1998-2003" (ED 420 764). Because vocational education and training (VET) activities constitute a major expenditure for Australia's federal, state, and territory governments, effective…