Mums, older workers needed - by Claire Heaney - Article obtained from Daily Telegraph - 17/04/07

 

EMPLOYERS need to look at hiring older workers and mothers, and introducing flexible hours, if they want to overcome labour shortages, a study has found.

UPS Australia managing director Jeff Fairbairn said the packaging delivery company's latest poll had reinforced lingering concerns about getting quality workers.

He said finding and keeping good staff was increasingly difficult but employers needed to be flexible.

"We are a seven-day-a-week service industry ... you can't be traditional, the talent pool is not there," Mr Fairbairn said.

He said older workers wanting to leave corporate jobs but still looking to do a few days a week were an untapped resource.

"There are women out there who have multiple skills but because of parenting arrangements they need flexible hours," he said.

While the emphasis was often on younger workers who didn't want to stay for the long haul, Mr Fairbairn said if young people wanting to work and study could be accommodated, they would be an asset.

The findings are in the third annual UPS Asian Business Monitor, which questioned 100 businesses in Australia and another 1100 in the Asia-Pacific region.

Of the 100 companies surveyed in Australia, more than 70 per cent said the largest obstacle to small and medium enterprise competitiveness was the availability of a qualified workforce.

Mr Fairbairn said the Australian concerns were echoed globally, with 60 per cent of small and medium enterprises from the Asia-Pacific region worried about the shortfall.

 

Author Claire Heaney - article obtained from Daily Telegraph 17/04/07

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,21566014-37775,00.html