Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-pjpqr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-28T09:06:53.120Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Minding the gaps: Examining skill shortages in Australian rural non-agricultural workplaces

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2015

Lia Bryant  and
Katrina Jaworski
Lia Bryant
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Social Work and Social Policy, Magill Campus, University of South Australia, Underdale, SA, Australia
Katrina Jaworski
Affiliation:
Hawke Research Institute, University of South Australia, Underdale, SA, Australia
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

This article examines skills shortage in rural Australian mining and food and beverage processing industries by analyzing the concept of skill and differentiating between gaps in skills and skill shortages. Drawing on Acker's sociological concept of inequality regimes, we analyze workforce profiles informed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics data, and qualitative interview data with human resource personnel. Emphasis is given to gender and Indigeneity, and the recruitment and retention practices by place and organization. We argue that the term ‘skill shortage’ is contentious as current workforce profiles are narrow and thereby exclude segments of the rural labor market. We also argue that underlying assumptions about gender and race in organizations need to be addressed for rural-based organizations to more fully utilize the available workforce.

Keywords

rural workforceminingfood and beverage processinggenderIndigeneity
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 18 , Issue 4 , July 2012 , pp. 499 - 515
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Acker, J. (1989). Doing comparable worth: Gender, class and pay equity. Philadelphia, PA: Temple University Press.Google Scholar
Acker, J. (1990). Hierarchies, jobs, bodies: A theory of gendered organizations. Gender & Society, 4(2), 139–158.Google Scholar
Acker, J. (1998). The future of ‘gender and organisations’: Connections and boundaries. Gender, Work & Organisations, 4(4), 195–205.Google Scholar
Acker, J. (2006). Inequality regimes: Gender, class and race in organizations. Gender & Society, 40(4), 441–464.Google Scholar
Adams, J., Greig, M., & McQuaid, R. W. (2002). Mismatch in local labour markets in central Scotland: The neglected role of demand. Urban Studies, 39(8), 1399–1416.Google Scholar
Adkins, L. (1995). Gendered work: Sexuality, family and the labour market. Buckingham, England: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Agricultural and Food Policy Reference Group. (2006). Creating our future. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Attewell, P. (1990). What is skill? Work and Occupations, 17(4), 422–448.Google Scholar
AusIMM. (2003). Increasing the diversity of the mining industry workforce: Strategies for employers. Melbourne, VIC: Australasian Institute for Mining and Metallurgy.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2005). Manufacturing, Australia. Manufacturing industry: Business performance by ANZSIC class, Australia 2001–02 and 2002–03 (Cat. No. 8221.0). Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2006). Australian labour market statistics (Cat. No. 6105.0). Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2007). Australian social trends (Cat. No. 4102.00). Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009–2011). Australian labour market statistics (Cat. No. 6105.0). Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (2009). Food industry. Retrieved from http://www.dfat.gov.au/facts/foodindustry.htmlGoogle Scholar
Australian Government. (2010). Employment outlook for mining. Retrieved from http://www.skillsinfo.gov.au/skills/IndustryReportsCharts/RTFIndustryEmploymentOutlookReports.htmGoogle Scholar
Australian Industry Group. (2003). How competitive is Australia? Big issues call for big ideas. Sydney: AIG.Google Scholar
Bastalich, W., Franzway, S., Gill, J., Mills, J., & Sharp, R. (2007). Disrupting masculinities: Women engineers and engineering workplace culture. Australian Feminist Studies, 22(54), 385–400.Google Scholar
Bice, S. (2011). On the radar? Gendered considerations in Australia-based mining companies' sustainability reporting, 2004–2007. In Lahiri-Dutt, K. (Ed.), Gendering the field (pp. 145–176). Canberra, ACT: ANU E Press.Google Scholar
Bragatheswaran, G., & Lawrence, L. (2008). Overview of the Australian food industry, 2006-2007. In Commonwealth of Australia (Ed.), Australian food statistics (pp. 1–14). Canberra, ACT: Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.Google Scholar
Brandth, B., & Haugen, M. S. (2005). The gendered embodiment of agricultural work: Nature, machinery and patriarchy. In Morgan, D., Brandth, B., & Kvande, E. (Eds.), Gender, Bodies and Work (pp. 89–100). Hampshire, England: Ashgate.Google Scholar
Bryant, L., & Hoon, E. (2006). How can the intersection between gender, class and sexuality be translated to an empirical agenda? International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 5(1), 67–79.Google Scholar
Bryant, L., & King, P. (2006). Sustaining rural communities: Skilh shortage in the mining and food and beverage industries. Report to the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation.Google Scholar
Bryant, L., & Tedmanson, D. (2006). Drilling down: Diversity in the mining industry: Exploring the barriers to gender and Indigenous diversity in the Australian mining industry. International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management, 5(3), 157–167.Google Scholar
Bryant, L., & Jaworski, K. (2011). Gender, embodiment and place: The gendering of skills shortages in the mining and food processing industries, Human Relations, 64(10), 1345–1368.Google Scholar
Buchanan, J. (2006). From ‘skill shortages’ to decent work: The role of better skill ecosystems. Sydney, NSW: New South Wales Board of Vocational Education and Training, University of Sydney.Google Scholar
Burke, R., & Ng, E. (2006). The changing nature of work and organisations: Implications for human resource management. Human Resource Management Review, 16(2), 86–94.Google Scholar
Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining. (2004). Aboriginal employment at Century Mine, Research Paper no. 3. Brisbane, QLD: University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining. (2010a). Good practice in mentoring Indigenous employees. Brisbane, QLD: University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Centre for Social Responsibility in Mining. (2010b). Increasing Indigenous employment and economic participation in the Bowen Basin coal industry. Brisbane, QLD: University of Queensland.Google Scholar
Chan, P. W., & Moehler, R. C. (2008). Constructing skills development in the UK: Transitioning between the formal and informal. Retrieved from http://northumbria.openrepository.com/northumbriaGoogle Scholar
Connell, R. W. (2005). Masculinities (2nd ed.). Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar
Crompton, R. (2010). Class and employment. Work, Employment & Society, 24(1), 9–25.Google Scholar
Crompton, R., & Sanderson, K. (1990). Gendered jobs and social change. London, England: Unwin Hyman.Google Scholar
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. (2006a). Current and future skills needs (Attachment A: Skill shortages, skill gaps and recruitment difficulties). Submission to the Senate Employment, Workplace Relations and Educational Reference Committee. Canberra, ACT: Parliament of Australia.Google Scholar
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations. (2006b). Skills on demand lists: States and territories – May 2006. Canberra, ACT: Commonwealth of Australia.Google Scholar
Devins, D., & Hogarth, T. (2005). Employing the unemployed: Some case study evidence on the role and practice of employers. Urban Studies, 42(2), 245–256.Google Scholar
Diez, M. A. (2002). Evaluating new regional policies. Evaluation, 8(3), 285–305.Google Scholar
DiTomasco, N., Post, C., & Parks-Yancy, R. (2007). Workforce diversity and inequality: Power, status, and numbers. Annual Review of Sociology, 33, 473–501.Google Scholar
Eveline, J., & Booth, M. (2002). Gender and sexuality in discourses of managerial control: The case of women miners. Gender, Work & Organisation, 9(5), 556–578.Google Scholar
Evetts, J. (1998). Managing the technology but not the organization: Women and career in engineering. Women in Management Review, 13(8), 283–290.Google Scholar
Foley, G. (2007). The Australian labor party and the native title act. In Moreton-Robinson, A. (Ed.), Sovereign subjects: Indigenous sovereignty matters (pp. 118–139). North Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Ford, G. W. (1982). Human resource development in Australia and the balance of skills. Journal of Industrial Relations, 24, 443–453.Google Scholar
Foucault, M. (1978). The history of sexuality (Vol. 1). London, England: Penguin.Google Scholar
Franzway, S., Sharp, R., Mills, J. E., & Gill, J. (2009). Engineering ignorance: The problem of gender equity in engineering. Frontiers: A Journal of Women's Studies, 30(1), 89–106.Google Scholar
Gawler, J. (2005, 06–July). Aboriginal and community diversity relations: Emerging models for diverse engagement in the Australian mining industry. Paper presented at the fifth international conference on diversity in organisations, communities and nations, Beijing, China.Google Scholar
Gibson, G., & Kemp, D. (2008). Corporate engagement with Indigenous women in the minerals industry: Making space for theory. In Faircheallaigh, C. O. & Ali, S. (Eds.), Earth matters: Indigenous peoples, the extractive industries and corporate social responsibility (pp. 104–122). Sheffield, England: Greenleaf.Google Scholar
Giddy, K., Lopez, J., & Redman, A. (2009). Brokering successful Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment outcomes: Common themes in good practice. Sydney, NSW: Cultural and Indigenous Research Centre.Google Scholar
Gow, K., Hinschen, C., Anthony, D., & Warren, C. (2008). Work expectations and other factors influencing male apprentices' intentions to quit their trade. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 46(1), 99–121.Google Scholar
Grugulis, I. (2007). Skills, training and human resource development: A critical text. London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Grugulis, I. (2009). Skills training and human resource development: A response. Economic and Labour Relations Review, 19(2), 2–6.Google Scholar
Grugulis, I., & Vincent, S. (2009). Whose skill is it anyway? Soft skills and polarization. Work, Employment and Society, 23(4), 597–615.Google Scholar
Grugulis, I., Warhurst, C., & Keep, E. (2004). What's happening to ‘skill’? In Warhurst, C., Grugulis, I., & Keep, E. (Eds.), The skills that matter (pp. 1–18). London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Halford, S., & Leonard, P. (2006). Negotiating gendered identities at work: Place, space and time. London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Hall, R., & Lansbury, R. D. (2006). Skills in Australia: Towards workforce development and sustainable skills ecosystems. Journal of Industrial Relations, 48(5), 575–592.Google Scholar
Hampson, I. (2008). Skills and training: Reflections on a recent British contribution to current debates. Economic and Labour Relations Review, 19(1), 1–11.Google Scholar
Hampson, I., & Junor, A. (2009, 04). ‘Employability’ and the substance of soft skills. Paper presented at the International Labour Process Conference, Edinburgh, Scotland. Retrieved from http://www.ilpc.org.uk/PreviousConferences/ILPC2009/ILPC2009Papers.aspxGoogle Scholar
Kemp, D., & Pattenden, C. (2007). Retention of women in the minerals industry. In Office for Women, Minerals Council of Australia, Women in Social & Economic Research and CSRM (Eds.), Unearthing new resources: Attracting and retaining women in the Australian minerals industry (pp. 111–197). Brisbane, QLD: CSRM. Retrieved from http://www.csrm.uq.edu.au/docs/women-in-mining.pdfGoogle Scholar
Labour Market Analysis Branch. (1992). Redefining skill: Reforming the entry level training system to achieve gender equity. TAFE Labour Market Issues, 1(20), 1–88.Google Scholar
Lafer, G. (2004). What is skill? Training for discipline in the low wage labor market. In Warhurst, C., Keep, E., & Grugulis, I. (Eds.), The skilk that matter (pp. 109–127). London, England: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Lloyd, C., & Mayhew, K. (2010). Skill: The solution to low wage work. Industrial Relations Journal, 41(5), 429–445.Google Scholar
Lloyd, C., & Payne, J. (2006). Good-bye to all that? A critical re-evaluation of the role of the high performance work organization within the UK skills debate. Work, Employment & Society, 20(1), 151–165.Google Scholar
Lorber, J., & Moore, L. J. (2007). Gendered bodies: Feminist perspectives. Los Angeles, CA: Roxbury.Google Scholar
Marshall, R. (2001). Rural policy in the new century. International Regional Science Review, 24(1), 59–83.Google Scholar
Mercier, L. (2008, 11). Bordering on equality: Women miners in North America. Paper presented at the Mining, Gender and Sustainable Livelihoods Workshop, Canberra. Retrieved from http://empoweringcommunities.anu.edu.au/documents/Laurie%20paper%20&%20cover%20page.pdfGoogle Scholar
Minerals Council of Australia. (2009). The economic significance of the Australian minerals industry. Retrieved from http://www.minerals.org.au/corporateGoogle Scholar
Monsatiriotis, V. (2005). Labour market flexibility in the UK: Regional variation and the role of global/local forces. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 26(3), 443–477.Google Scholar
Moreton-Robinson, A. (2004). Whiteness, epistemology and Indigenous representation. In Moreton-Robinson, A. (Ed.), Whitening race: Essays in social and cultural criticism (pp. 75–88). Canberra, ACT: Aboriginal Studies Press.Google Scholar
Myers, V. A., & Dreachslin, J. L. (2007). Recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce: Challenges and opportunities. Journal of Healthcare Management, 52(5), 290–298.Google Scholar
National Mining Industry ITAB. (2003). National VET plan: Mining industry, executive summary. Brisbane, QLD: Australian National Training Authority.Google Scholar
National Meat Industry Training Advisory Council. (2009). Literature review on labour turnover and retention strategies. Retrieved from http://www.mintrac.com.au/files/newsletter/research%20turnover%20and%20retention%20.pdfGoogle Scholar
North, D., & Smallbone, D. (1995). The employment generation potential of mature SMEs in different geographical environments. Urban Studies, 32(9), 1517–1534.Google Scholar
Paechter, C. (2003). Masculinities and femininities as communities of practice. Women's Studies International Forum, 26(1), 69–77.Google Scholar
Parmenter, J. (2008). Experiences of Indigenous women in the Australian mining industry. In Lahiri-Dutt, K. (Ed.), Gendering the field (pp. 67–86). Canberra, ACT: ANU E Press.Google Scholar
Pattenden, C. (1998). Women in the mining industry: A report to the Women in Mining Taskforce. Melbourne, VIC: Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy.Google Scholar
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research and evaluation methods (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Pocock, B. (1989). Demanding skill: Women and technical education in Australia. North Sydney, NSW: Allen & Unwin.Google Scholar
Resources and Infrastructure Industry Skills Council. (2003). Industry skills report: Resources and infrastructure. Brisbane, QLD: Australian National Training Authority.Google Scholar
Richardson, S. (2007). What is a skill shortage? Report for NCVER. Adelaide, SA: Australian Government.Google Scholar
Sayce, S., Ackers, P., & Greene, A. M. (2006). Work restructuring and changing craft identity: The tale of the disaffected weavers (or what happens when the rug is pulled from under your feet). Work, Employment and Society, 21(1), 85–101.Google Scholar
Schilt, K. (2006). Just one of the guys? How transmen make gender visible at work. Gender & Society, 20(4), 465–490.Google Scholar
Schofield, K. (2003). Senate employment, workplace relations and educational references committee inquiry into current and future skill needs: Notes for the inquiry hearing, Sydney, 6 May. Canberra, ACT: Parliament of Australia.Google Scholar
Simpson, R., & Lewis, P. (2007). Voice, visibility and the gendering of organizations. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.Google Scholar
Tapia, A. H., & Kvasny, L. (2004, 04). Recruitment is never enough: Retention of women and minorities in the IT workplace. Paper presented at the SIGMIS Conference on Computer Personnel Research: Careers, Culture, and Ethics in a Networked Environment. Retrieved from http://ist.psu.edu/faculty_pages/lkvasny/p84-tapia.pdfGoogle Scholar
Theodore, N., & Weber, R. (2001). Changing work organization in small manufacturers: Challenges for economic development. Economic Development Quarterly, 15(4), 367–379.Google Scholar
Vidler, P. (2007). Indigenous employment and business development in the Queensland resources sector: Report to the Queensland resources sector. Brisbane, QLD: CSRM, University of Queensland. Retrieved from http://www.csrm.uq.edu.au/docs/Vidler_2007.pdfGoogle Scholar
Watson, D., Webb, R., & Johnson, S. (2006). Influence costs and the reporting of skill deficiencies. Human Relations, 59(1), 37–59.Google Scholar
Wilton, N. (2011). The shifting sands of employability. CESR Review, 4, 2–5.Google Scholar
Witz, A., Halford, S., & Savage, M. (1996). Organized bodies: Gender, sexuality and embodiment in contemporary organizations. In Adkins, L. & Merchant, V. (Eds.), Sexualizing the social: Power and the organization of sexuality (pp. 173–190). London, England: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Wolkowitz, C. (2006). Bodies at work. London, England: Sage.Google Scholar
Wrench, J. (2005). Diversity management can be bad for you. Race and Class, 46(3), 73–84.Google Scholar
Wynn, E. (2001). Women in the mining industry. Brisbane, QLD: Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Youth Congress.Google Scholar
Yancey Martin, P. (2003). ‘Said and done’ versus ‘saying and doing’: Gendering practices, practicing gender at work. Gender & Society, 17(3), 342–366.Google Scholar
Young, M., Guenther, J., & Boyle, A. (2007). Growing the desert: Educational pathways for remote Indigenous people. Adelaide, SA: NCVER.Google Scholar