This book captures the essence of current workforce development perspectives and draws on extensive global research to uncover a range of issues confronting organisations. Taking primarily an Australian outlook after the global financial crisis and tracing the progress of a national industry sector, each chapter delves into a major area of interest for leaders. Overall, the authors make the case that workforce development is an amalgam of activities influenced by context, politics and economic development.

As the world becomes increasingly connected and mobile, workforce development is proving to be a major activity for organisations because it impacts their longer-term survival and growth. To stay ahead, successful organisations focus on attracting, building, engaging and retaining talented people. However, in a financially turbulent era where strategy changes quickly, workforce development must not only plan and build the capabilities of people at work, but also contribute to making employment more socially sustainable for a better world.

This book provides a thought-provoking collection of scholarly work for business leaders, human resource practitioners and academics working in adult education, business, psychology and social science disciplines. At the same time, it adopts an accessible style for students and others who want to know more about the development of people at work.

Roger Harris is a Professor in the School of Education, University of South Australia. He has had extensive experience in VET research, with a focus on national training reform, workforce development and adult learning. He has presented at national and international conferences and published widely, including books on competency-based education (Macmillan 1995), on and off-job training (NCVER 1998) and rethinking work and learning (Springer 2009), as well co-writing 18 research monographs published by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research. Recently, Roger was Director of the three-year Australian research consortium, Supporting VET providers in building capability for the future. He has been a member of the South Australian Training and Skills Commission, and a Research Fellow for three months at the Institute for Adult Learning in the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Currently he serves on the Academic Boards of two private higher education providers, and as Program Leader of the Workforce Development Program within the CRC for Rail Innovation. He has been Editor of the Australian Journal of Adult Learning, and is now Co-Editor of the International Journal of Training Research.

Tom Short is a Research Fellow at the University of South Australia where his activities include leading workforce development research projects within the CRC for Rail Innovation. His academic and work experiences span areas such as human resource management, workforce development, leadership and adult education in senior management, consulting, education and research roles. He has published widely on these topics in books, journals, national and international conference proceedings, professional publications and currently serves on the editorial board of three international journals. Tom is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and was formerly Director of the Performance Improvement Centre, a HRD consultingand training business unit situated within the University of Auckland, Faculty of Education, specialising in the professional development of workplace educators, trainers, assessors and teachers of adults.

1. Exploring the Notion of Workforce Development.- Part I Sustainability, Growth and Diversity.- 2. Attracting and Retaining Staff:The Role of Branding and Industry Image.- 3. International Developments in Skills Migration: A Case Study of the Opportunities, Threats and Dilemmas for Australia.- 4. Career Paths: Challenges and Opportunities.- 5. Skills Recognition and Recognition of Prior Learning for Workforce Development: Challenges and Possibilities.-6. Recognition of the Skills and Knowledge of Indigenous Employees.- 7. Women and Engineering: A Workforce Development Issue.- Part II Human Capability and Capacity Building.- 8. Transitions in Workplace Communication: Perspectives on the Efficacy of Formal Workplace Mentoring.- 9. Building Workforce Competencies through Complex Projects.- 10. The Developmental Role of Competence Assurance.- 11. The Challenges of Leadership in the Twenty-First Century.- 12. Leadership Talent Identification and Management.- 13. Literacy in the Workplace.- Part III Innovations in Learning and Development.- 14. Coaching in the Workplace.- 15. Contemporary Challenges in E-Learning.- 16. Simulating Work: Can Simulators Help Develop a Workforce?.- Part IV Looking Forward: Changing Perceptions and Possibilities.- 17. Spirituality at Work: The Contribution of Mindfulness to Personal and Workforce Development.- 18. Evaluation in Workforce Development.- 19. Critical Perspectives on Workforce Development.- 20. The Future of Workforce Development Old Wine in New Bottles?.