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The way we do business, connect, socialise, travel, and live is changing. The world of work in the next two decades will be shaped by technological advances, digital connectivity, globalisation, the ageing population and emerging economic structures. These five mega trends are driving the speed of change and are expected to lead to the restructuring of labour markets throughout Australia, including local government. Local government is already feeling the impact of these trends; yet the majority of local governments in Western Australia have not done any form of analysis or forecasting to determine the changing future roles/skills required., This report is underpinned by data obtained from the National Local Government Skills Shortage Survey 2017 (the Survey) to which 37 per cent of Western Australian local governments responded. Findings from the Survey reveal: 47 per cent of local governments were experiencing a skill shortage and skill gaps; Building Surveyors, Environmental Health Officers, Engineers, Town Planners and Plant Operators were the top five areas of skills shortage; The key reasons behind the skills shortage are: the inability of councils to compete with the private sector on remuneration, lack of suitably qualified/experienced candidates, and remoteness/location making it difficult to attract and retain workers; 72 per cent of local governments have unmet training needs, higher than any other state/territory in Australia arising from: lack of training available locally, lack of/limited number of courses on offer in Western Australia, lack of providers in Western Australia, and the courses that are available are city based and not available on-line; and The greatest challenge faced by local governments in Western Australia is remoteness, which creates major issues around access and affordability of training and local governments ability to recruit and retain staff., Emerging issues identified include: 86 per cent of local governments have done no analysis or forecasting of changing roles/skills requirements arising from digital disruption and technology changes; All local governments responding to the survey indicated the need to improve their position in relation to soft skills, particularly novel and adaptive thinking, new media literacy, ability to work productively, drive engagement and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team; and Training availability and budgetary and time constraints were the most commonly cited factors hindering staff gaining softs skills., Within this context this report seeks to highlight the current and future skill needs of the local government sector within Western Australia and suggests some strategies for improving future workforce capacity and capability.

In the context of a rapidly changing world, the future of work is an issue drawing the attention of many individuals and organizations. It is a global concern, posing important challenges that need to be addressed urgently. One such challenge is how to ensure that the future of work is inclusive, leaving no one behind, including the one billion persons with disabilities living on our planet. Inequalities experienced in the world of work by persons with disabilities remain significant and need to be addressed, or the future of work will replicate the past. The good news is that an increasing number of organizations are recognizing disability as a source of diversity, talent and innovation. Companies have greater opportunities than ever before to bring in persons with disabilities, as customers and clients, but also as employees and managers and thereby gain a competitive advantage. For persons with disabilities, decent work means they can be empowered to lead more independent lives and contribute to the wellbeing of their families, communities and societies at large, building together a more inclusive economy.The future of work is still to be shaped, and we can all influence it to some extent. Driven by this idea and aware of the urgency to take action, the ILO Global Business and Disability Network and Fundacion ONCE have developed this publication. This is a first exercise to connect different areas of debate, looking at the key trends of the future of work from a disability perspective and seeking to identify specific action needed in order to shape the future of work in a more disability-inclusive way. This publication aims to contribute to the visibility of persons with disabilities in the debates about the future of work. It should also provide elements to ensure that the professionals who are committed to promoting the employment of persons with disabilities have a better understanding of how to constantly adapt their own work.

Local government is a major employer within Victoria, employing over 50,900 staff spread across 290 occupations. Employment numbers are likely to increase across the sector for the next two to three years - particularly in terms of part-time employees (accounting for 40 per cent of the workforce) to cater for population growth and an ageing demographic. Local Government in Victoria (more so than other states and territories) accounts for a wide range of social services - with a growing emphasis on aged care, maternal and child health and early childhood education. Local government is a major employer in regional, rural, and remote Victoria (and is ideally placed to act as an incubator for growing apprenticeships at the local level)., Growth levels at the current magnitude have had staffing implications for councils across the state, with some key professional occupations now in high demand across the sector. Employment costs account for between 27 to 54 per cent of total council expenditure, yet the majority (55 per cent) of councils have not done any form of analysis or forecasting to determine the impact that changing technology and digital disruption will have on their workforce. Yet apprenticeship and traineeship levels in Victoria are lower than in any other state and territory, with councils saying they don't have enough apprentices to meet future demand. There is little financial incentive for councils to take on apprentices without a wage subsidy or support from the State., The sector is faced with some key issues: It has an ageing workforce with 56 per cent of staff aged over 45 years, compared to 41 per cent for all Australian industries. 65 per cent of the outdoor workforce is aged over 45 years and the combination of a significantly-ageing outdoor workforce and physical work demands will have implications for councils. Strategies will need to be developed to ensure that older workers remain safe, healthy and productive; and Less than seven per cent of the outdoor workforce is under 30 years of age, yet turnover is low and intake of employees under 30 years is declining. The sector is also faced with critically low apprenticeship and traineeship numbers, yet 42 per cent of councils do not have enough apprentices and trainees to meet future skill needs., Councils are hindered from accessing and delivering training due to: 65.4 per cent having a lack of time to attend training; 50 per cent having difficulty sourcing local trainers; 50 per cent having difficulty sourcing courses with relevant content; and 46 per cent thinking course costs are too high – all segments agree. Budgetary constraints have exacerbated these points: 74 per cent of councils are experiencing a skills shortage - which they expect to worsen over the next couple of years; Key shortages in professional occupations at risk include Specialist Engineers, Specialist Planners, Building Surveyors, Computing ICT technicians, Project Managers, Community Development and Engagement Officers and Environmental Health Officers; and Minor shortages in technical and trade occupations in areas involving: Care Persons, Accounts/Payroll Clerks, Customer Service Workers, Supervisor/Team Leader functions, IT/ICT technicians and trades - (Horticulture, Automotive, Plumbing).

This study was undertaken to identify the current and emerging skill needs of local government to better position the sector for the future. The report is underpinned by data from the National Local Government Skills Shortage Survey 2017 (the Survey) to which 45 per cent of Tasmanian councils responded. Findings from the Survey reveal: 69 per cent of councils were experiencing a skill shortage and 50 per cent were experiencing skills gaps; Engineers, Town Planners, Environmental Health Officers and Building Surveyors were the top five areas of skills shortage; The key reasons for skills shortages are location of the council, inability to compete with private sector on remuneration, lack of suitably qualified/experienced candidates, reputation and public image of councils, and lack of vocational education and training providers in Tasmania; Just under one half (46 per cent) of councils reported unmet training needs arising from: limited provision of local tertiary and vocational education and training, cost of training and lack of management support; More could be done by councils to share resources and 'Grow their own' through programs such as traineeships, apprenticeships and cadetships; and The greatest challenge in addressing skill needs is finding quality trainers to deliver locally and sourcing courses with relevant content., Emerging issues identified include: 69 per cent of councils have done no analysis or forecasting of changing roles/skills requirements arising from digital disruption and technology changes; All councils responding to the survey indicated they need to improve their position in relation to soft skills, particularly design mind set, ability to understand concepts across multiple disciplines, digital skills and creativity and entrepreneurial skills; Leadership and resistance to change were the most commonly cited factors hindering staff in gaining soft skills; and In the future, councils are predicting a significant increase in the use of part-time and casual employees and volunteers, a moderate increase in full time employees, a small increase in independent contractors and a decrease in the use of service centres, freelance and labour hire arrangements.

The way we do business, connect, socialise, travel, and live is changing. The world of work in the next two decades will be shaped by technological advances, digital connectivity, globalisation, an ageing population and changing economic structures. These five mega trends are driving the speed of change and are expected to lead to the restructuring of labour markets throughout Australia, including local government. Local government is already feeling the impact of these trends; yet the majority of councils have not done any form of analysis or forecasting to determine the changing future roles/skills required. This report provides a snapshot about key issues facing local government in the Northern Territory. It illustrates that local government has a workforce that: Is older than the Northern Territory all industry workforce; Has a declining participation level of workers under 30 years of age; Does not have enough apprentices to meet future needs; Is facing skills shortages in key professional and technical occupations; and Is not well positioned in regard to new and emerging soft skills. In order to address skill shortages, the preferred option of councils is to upskill existing staff - but there are challenges, given the inability to source trainers locally and the cost of sending staff to training (travel costs)., The report is underpinned by data from the National Local Government Skills Shortage Survey 2017 (the Survey) to which 41 per cent of Northern Territory councils responded. Findings from the Survey reveal: 83 per cent of councils were experiencing a skill shortage and 67 per cent were experiencing skills gaps; Community Development and Engagement Officers, Allied Health Professionals, Human Resource Professionals, Care Persons, Supervisors/Team Leaders were the top five areas of skills shortage; The key reasons for skills shortages are remoteness/location of the council, inability to compete with private sector on remuneration, lack of suitably qualified/experienced candidates, high turnover levels, shortage of accommodation, and poaching by the private and government agencies; 50 per cent of councils reported unmet training needs because courses are not offered locally, cost of sending staff away to training is prohibitive, and low literacy and numeracy levels of staff; The need for skilled staff with 'experience in working and living in remote indigenous communities'; 83 per cent of councils have done no analysis or forecasting of changing roles/skills requirements arising from digital disruption and technology changes; All councils responding to the Survey indicated they needed to improve their position in relation to soft skills, particularly the ability to work productively, drive engagement, and demonstrate presence as a member of a virtual team, creativity and entrepreneurial skills, and digital skills; Training availability and remoteness of councils were the most commonly cited factors hindering staff gaining soft skills; and In the future, councils are predicting a small increase in the use of full-time and part-time employees, a small decrease in casual employees and volunteers and no change to labour hire arrangements., Within this context the report seeks to highlight the current and future skill needs of the local government sector within the Northern Territory and suggests strategies for improving future workforce capacity and capability.

The Local Government Workforce Development Group (LGWDG) comprises representatives from each state and territory Local Government Association and provides advice on workforce matters to the Australian Local Government Association. The LGWDG undertook this study to identify the current and emerging skill needs of Local Government to better position the sector for the future.

The world of work in the next two decades will be shaped by technological advances, digital connectivity, globalisation, the ageing population and emerging economic structures. These five mega trends are driving the speed of change and are expected to lead to the restructuring of labour markets throughout Australia, including local government. Local government is already feeling the impact of these trends, yet the majority of councils in New South Wales (NSW) have done no analysis or forecasting to determine the changing future roles or skills required. This report provides a snapshot of the profile of the local government workforce and the key issues in relation to current and emerging skills shortages and skills gaps, and access to and uptake of training in NSW., The report is underpinned by data from the national Local Government Skills Shortage Survey 2017 (the Survey) to which 43 per cent of New South Wales councils responded. Findings from the Survey reveal: 86 per cent of councils in NSW were experiencing a skill shortage and 69 per cent were experiencing skills gaps; Engineers, Urban and Town Planners, Building Surveyors, Project Managers and Environmental Health Officers were the top five areas of skills shortage; The key reasons for skills shortages are: the inability to compete with the private sector on remuneration, lack of suitably qualified/experienced candidates, regional/remote location, high demand across the labour market, and pressure from key major external projects/developments; Shortages in technical and trade occupations represent a critical issue for the future for 10-20 per cent of councils; Whilst 56 per cent of surveyed councils employed cadets and 73 per cent employed apprentices or trainees, more can be done by councils to share resources and 'grow their own' with 55 per cent reporting they do not have enough trainees/apprentices to meet their future skill needs; 36 per cent of surveyed councils reported unmet training needs. These included leadership and management training, project management, change management, contract management, regulatory services, mental health resilience, property professional training, water/waste water treatment, business process improvement and software training; and The greatest challenges in addressing unmet training needs relate to access to training providers locally, difficulty releasing staff, cost and lack of customised training., Emerging issues identified include: 55 per cent of councils have done no analysis or forecasting of changing roles or skills requirements arising from digital disruption and technology changes; Factors impacting on future skilling needs of councils are: major infrastructure projects, technological change and digitisation, growth within the local government area, attraction and retention of staff, and the ageing workforce; The new skills emerging over the next three years are primarily related to the introduction of new technology such as new software systems, CRM systems, GPS tracking, drone technology and online service provision; and In the future, councils are predicting a significant increase in the use of part-time employees and volunteers, a moderate increase in full-time employees and casuals, and a decrease in the use of labour hire arrangements.

Workplaces are changing quickly. Machines or algorithms are replacing some tasks, and new and changing jobs require additional technical skills. To keep pace with these changes in current and future jobs, the ability to keep learning is the most important basic skill for any job. Because literacy is the most important 'learning to learn skill,' Canada's workforce requires high levels of literacy. However, many Canadian workers have poor literacy skills. Canada's provincial, territorial and federal governments are rapidly turning attention to the skill gaps in the economy and looking for the best ways to build them in the working-aged population. The solutions they implement will not succeed unless they also incorporate building literacy skills. Improving the literacy skills of Canada's workforce - and putting them to full use - will close the skills gap and improve productivity., Solutions to Canada's literacy problem include efforts to: Improve the literacy skills of graduates of K-12 and post-secondary programs; Understand the skills needs of employers and the skills proficiencies of the workforce through investigating the market for skills and building and implementing competency frameworks; embed literacy in all workforce education and training initiatives for all working-aged adults; stop skill loss in some workers through employers increasing the knowledge and skill intensity of their jobs, assessing the skills of job applicants with reliable tools, investing in literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skill upgrading and adjusting work processes to ensure skills gained are put to use; transform the federally funded Labour Market Programs offered in the provinces and territories; avoid reliance on 21st Century Skills as the 'silver bullet' that will end skills shortages; and mandate the new Future Skills Centre to include cognitive skills in its research.