White Paper

This research report considers the future trajectory of work in Australia's broader transportation industry. It takes into account the change and disruption that will occur across the sector as a result of a number of drivers - including, but not limited to, technological innovation. Transportation is a crucial part of the Australian economy, and generates significant spill-over benefits that are shared across all sectors and regions. Transportation is also an important employer, occupying some 625,000 Australians and generating above-average earnings. However, work in this sector is poised for dramatic change in the years ahead. It is the responsibility of all stakeholders in transportation to prepare for that change - to manage it, minimise its costs, and maximise its benefits.

Technology is being used to change power balances in workplaces and to perpetuate long-standing precarious employment relationships, Jim Stanford argues. But the exploitative practices of the gig economy reflect deliberate choices, rather than the inevitable onward march of technology, and creating better jobs also lies within our power. KEY TAKEAWAYS; Jim Stanford makes the link between low business investment in equipment and skills training, and a halving of productivity growth in Canada and OECD nations. Disruption in the relationship between employers and workers — like the gig economy — is a reflection of our past choices, rather than the inevitable onward march of technology, and creating better jobs also lies within our power.

This report estimates the net incomes of UberX drivers in six Australian cities, on the basis of public information regarding Uber's pricing structure, a representative benchmark urban trip, and other parameters (including vehicle expense guidelines in Australia's tax system). The main findings of these simulations include: UberX services are provided at significantly lower prices than traditional taxi services in all major Australian cities; on average, traditional taxis are about 40 percent more expensive than UberX, based on a representative benchmark trip. Under normal pricing schedules, it is very unlikely that UberX drivers earn net income (after all expenses) equivalent to Australia's statutory minimum wages for workers in this industry. We estimate the net income of Uber drivers (on average across the six cities considered in the report) under plausible assumptions to be $14.62 per hour. The highest simulated net incomes are generated in Canberra and Sydney (over $18 per hour); the lowest are in Perth (under $11 per hour). The simulated average hourly net income for Uber drivers is well below Australia's basic statutory minimum wage, of $18.29 per hour. And it equals less than half the statutory minimum payments required under the relevant Modern Award that would apply to waged workers in this sector (taking into account casual loading increments and penalty rates for evening and weekend work).

ATD defines a skills gap as a significant gap between an organization's current capabilities and the skills it needs to achieve its goals and meet customer demand. An organization with significant skills gaps risks not meeting customer demand. Because critical skills are missing, it may not be able to grow or compete, and may not be able to prepare for the future of work. This marks the sixth skills gap report produced by the Association for Talent Development (formerly the American Society for Training & Development) since 2003. In addition to reviewing well-regarded research from outside ATD, this whitepaper will discuss findings from a 19- question survey of 304 talent development professionals--team leaders, managers, directors, leaders, and executives--whose companies are headquartered in the United States. The survey opened in April of 2018 and closed in early June. Insights from that analysis, as well as quotes from respondents, are shared throughout this report. We also have included case studies and examples from companies that are addressing their skills gaps creatively and effectively, and we provide an action plan for talent development professionals to identify and close the skills gaps within their organizations.

This scan on immigrant entrepreneurship will discuss the general climate of immigrant entrepreneurship within Canada touching on successes and challenges faced in previous decades and today. The report provides a discussion of immigrant entrepreneurship in Canada, identifies programs requiring increased attention for the improvement of immigrant experiences, and highlights key programs in Canada, Sweden, Germany, Finland, and the United States focused on facilitating immigrant entrepreneurship. By scanning the ways that government and government-funded actors are creating pathways to entrepreneurship for immigrants, the analysis aims to provide strategic intelligence on the interventions that may facilitate or inhibit immigrant entrepreneurship. The goal is to further policy work to enhance pathways to entrepreneurship for immigrants to Canada.

AI technology will likely transform nearly every aspect of our lives over the next few decades. To ensure this change is positive, it's important to start having conversations now about how to keep the application of AI inclusive, secure, and positive. This report takes an in-depth look at where we are and where we are going with AI, hopefully sparking that conversation today.

In the age of artificial intelligence (AI), business success will increasingly depend on people and machines collaborating with each other. AI will elevate people’s capabilities as workers help intelligent machines to learn and improve. This will not only drive efficiencies, but create new forms of growth and innovation. To succeed, organizations must reimagine work, pivot their workforce to new growth models and ‘new skill’ their people to do more valuable work.

Digital skills are increasingly in demand across many industries. Recent industry reports argue that a shortage of people in the workforce skilled in information and communications technology (ICT) is inhibiting the growth of innovative companies around the world. Some argue that in Canada, this global challenge is exacerbated by Canadian firms’ historic tendency to adopt new technologies at a slower than average speed — a hesitancy many argue is itself the result of previous shortages of skilled technology workers.

KEY POINTS: Principal applicants in the skilled worker category, both men and women, had better labour outcomes than immigrants who entered under other immigration classes. They were more likely to be employed, and be working in their area of training/education, had taken less time to find their first job, had shorter jobless spells and earned more than other groups. Refugees, both men and women, faced more difficulties even four years after arrival. They were more likely to have high unemployment rates, more jobless spells, longer time taken to secure their first job in Canada, and lower earnings. Immigrant men had overall better labour outcomes than immigrant women, including higher labour force participation rates. Within their first four years in Canada, all immigrants had higher unemployment rates than the working population as a whole, regardless of immigration class.