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Older Australians thriving with newfound academic skills

  • Written by: Diane Falzon

Spearheaded by Council on the Ageing (COTA) Victoria for the Australian Federal Government, a recent report by Workforce Innovation and Development Institute (WIDI), outlined the key results from the inaugural Reach, Train and Employ Project in 2021, which saw 31 Victorian mature aged graduates receive a Certificate III in Individual Support (Ageing and Disability).

The Reach, Train and Employ Project, was created to address the increasing number of older Australian workers who are unemployed.  The program was supported by the Try, Test and Learn Fund – an initiative of the Australian Government Department of Social Services,  in partnership with RMIT University and Good Shepherd Australia and New Zealand, as part of the Cities of Brimbank, Melton and Bacchus Marsh.

The program aimed to escalate employment outcomes for older Australians through accredited training and job placement in the aged care and disability services sector, supporting older people and people with disabilities in the community.

The Reach, Train and Employ Project was designed to provide training that addresses barriers to employment, including low digital literacy, limited access to technology, as well as health and wellbeing concerns and  loss of confidence.  The program also provided extended support to assist older workers into sustainable employment such as becoming a personal carer in residential aged care, an in-home support worker, a disability support worker and community based individual support worker.

Report’s key findings include:

  1. Student project retention was high, with 81% of enrolled people over 50 (n=37) completing their training, which is significantly higher than the national average completion rate for the same course (39%). The high retention is even more impressive considering the numerous COVID-19 related challenges that students and project operators have faced, such as the sudden and unanticipated transition to remote learning; multiple lockdowns; and work placement delays.
  1. One ageist myth is that people aged over 50 are not willing to learn new skills or pursue professional development. The Reach, Train and Employ participants demonstrated they are more than willing and capable to learn new skills by re-training into a new career. In fact, the report showed that of the 37 participants aged over 50, no less than 52% were still considering further study opportunities, after completing their Certificate III in Individual Support.
  1. Reach, Train and Employ adopted a supportive training model, offering a range of project supports designed to increase participant engagement and their project completion. Support ranged from practical supports, such as assistance with coursework and assessments, to mental health assistance, to material supports such as food relief. Evaluation indicates the provision of these supports have played a key role in ensuring high participant engagement and project retention. Data suggest the supports were highly valued by people over 50, and for some participants, supports were critical to their project access and engagement.
  1. Evidence suggests the best project model outcomes for people over 50 are likely when they have access to diverse support types, which can be individualised to differing participant needs and are responsive to changes in participant needs.
  1. The ongoing life coaching sessions were highly valued by most people over 50 and project staff reported it to be a crucial element of the project’s model.
  1. The participants came to training with a wide variety of skills, experiences, needs and responsibilities. Findings suggest, for people over 50 at risk of long-term unemployment, their successful engagement in study requires a responsive and supportive educational model.
  1. Evidence suggests for people over 50 at risk of long-term unemployment, the wrap around support and inclusive training model resulted in positive employment outcomes in the social service sector. At the time of preparation of this final evaluation report, the project was on track to meet its 90% employment target within six months of project completion.

How To Improve The HR Functions And Processes In Your Organization

  • Written by: Daily Bulletin

We all know how HR is a broad and expansive area in terms of operations and expertise. Business organizations that value HR as a function and process tend to get pulled in multiple directions. With growing awareness and development of new strategies, businesses can be guilty of trying too many things all at one go.

This not only compromises the net output, but also compromises the efficiency of the HR teams. An HR team needs to work aggressively two cater to two main areas-

  • Satisfy the expectations of the employer or company.

  • Live up to the demands of the employees in an organization.

While on the surface, this might look at two different and opposing expectations, in reality, a successful HR process combines and blends both of them beautifully.

In this resource article, we are going to list down some major ways, how businesses can improve the ROIs from their HR teams and processes.

If you are a business organization looking to improve your HR functions, please visit- successhrc.com.sg

List of 5 Major Ways to Improve HR Functions and Processes in a Business Organization

  1. Start with a Review of the Existing HR Process-

If experts are to be believed, a solid foundation of your HR structure can only be established if it manages to cater to all the needs and expectations throughout an employee’s lifecycle.

This means starting with an in-depth review of the existing process and figuring out what is working and what is not. Once you can delineate the possible hiccups in the process, you will be able to come up with constructive ways of addressing them.

This is what most businesses are guilty of not doing. They pile on the process after process, without getting to the bottom of the problem.

  1. Hold Regular Training Sessions and Assessments of the HR Team-

As a field of knowledge and expertise, HR is expanding with every passing day. the growing awareness means business gurus are looking to optimize every step of the process.

Right from the shortlisting of candidates to using software aids to streamline financial records. All this requires the HR team to constantly improve their skill, understanding levels, and expertise.

A business organization needs to encourage its HR teams to opt for certificate learning courses and degrees that can help them come up with newer strategies. This can then be implemented for better results in the organization.

  1. Leveraging Technology and Automation in HR processes-

Technology is permeating all aspects of a businesses’ functioning. HR is no different. By using the right software tools and investing in digital platforms, several HR tasks can be automated.

This means that by replacing manual inputs and labor with technology, HR teams, and professionals and concentrate on more areas.

Perhaps, with all the time saves in physically managing files and documentation, they could concentrate on the skill development of the employees in an organization. Technology reduces human errors and frees up time that can be utilized in other areas.

  1. Develop a Strong HR-Focussed Culture in a Business Organization-

While HR as a system of expertise is growing in acceptance and recognition, there are still many businesses that aren’t too serious about it.

If the business owners and higher-ranking executives are not behind HR systems and processes, then the entire operation falls flat on its back. Right from the CEO to a fresh intern need to demonstrate the same level of seriousness about HR processes.

Creating a culture within the organization is a pre-requisite if you are looking to benefit from successful HR policies and strategies. It requires intent, commitment, and dedication right through a business organization’s hierarchy.

  1. Dedicate HR Processes towards Creating Better Experiences-

A sound HR team does not have to play in the CEO’s team all the time. Nor does it have to play the role of an active union always voicing the grievances of the employees.

The aim should be to improve the experiences of both the personalities it seeks to address and work for. Successful HR teams can motivate employees, create time-saving structures and help in detailed record and information keeping.

For a business, all this can prove to be invaluable. This will help benefit the company, both in the short as well as the long run.

The Bottom Line

By following the above-mentioned five points, business organizations can help improve the efficiency of their HR teams. Every step of the process is important and optimizations can help benefit both the employees as well as employers. If you have any other questions, you would like us to discuss, feel free to reach out to us in the comments section below.

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