Introduction
As a broad umbrella term, workforce development encapsulates a comprehensive range of factors that pertain to persons, the specific organizations in which they operate and the available systems that surround them. As such, the development of a workforce system epitomizes a multi-level and a multi-faceted approach to the support and sustenance of efficient work practices. This complexity makes the development of a workforce to include strategies attuned to divergent levels such as that of the team, the worker, the organization, and much broader systems. Over the years, shifts in emphases have continually directed the attention of needs to not only persons but also organizations, structures, and systems within which individuals operate. Therefore, workforce development involves increasingly key paradigm shifts. Further, it restructures the way of thinking from a perspective on training to one that incorporates various factors such as change management, organizational development, skill development, and evidence-based knowledge (Roche & Skinner, 2005). In addition, workforce development also pertains to stratagems alluding to the support of evidence-based practices and primarily focuses on the removal or the reduction of barriers to the management of an effective work practice. This shift in emphasis accords workforce development an ultimate goal of providing treatments that are more effective and the employment of prevention services.
Overall, workforce development remains a complex construct, which continually operates at multiple and dissimilar levels across a range of issues. This complexity makes the application of merely a single development strategy likely to be of limited efficiency. Therefore, for an impact that is optimal in nature, the development of a workforce requires simultaneous implementations of strategies across different levels. In workforce development, the four levels at which its strategies can be applied include the systems level, which involves proper legislation and funding; the organization level, which pertains to resources, policies and supervision; the team level, which entails support and cohesion; and the individuals level, which involves skills, motivations and rewards (Roche & Skinner, 2005). In simpler terms, systems and organizations form the legislative nature of workforce development, while teams from the social part of it and individuals form the educational part, which pertains to the development of applicable skills. Workforce development requires germane principles for best practice such as the qualities of being evidence-based, sustainable, multi-level, participatory, continuously evaluated, and having involvement and participatory among key stakeholders.
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On the other hand, while this concept is not entirely novel, people misunderstand it by using the term synonymously to mean “training,” while in reality, it means much more. Fundamentally, workforce development involves a wide range of factors that continually make an impact on the practices of work. Most significantly, the term pertains heavily on having a systems perspective through addressing individual factors such as attitudes, the legitimacy of roles, and knowledge and skills; as well as the encapsulation of broader factors such as work environment, organizational support, and opportunities for professional development among others. Finally, workforce development addresses issues to do with policy and infrastructure, which have a profound effect on services. As such, this paper provides a comprehensive literature review of the legislative, societal, and educational concerns in workforce development.
Literature Review
Legislation Concerns
When legislation concerns come to mind, social services systems continue to appear as critical in the effort of poverty reduction and have a direct and positive bearing on families that continue to display vulnerabilities, as well as individuals. Such impacts include the provision of vital services that include health care, proper education, nutrition, psychosocial support, legal protection, the building of pertinent skills, and economic strengthening. As such, the social service system remains the backbone of effective workforce development and addresses both the protection of the populace who are vulnerable and the social welfare which entails elements that present responsive, preventive, and promotive legislative choices. Thus, well-functioning and effective systems within workforce development, especially within the social services, remain essential to the social and economic progress of a nation. Moreover, such systems continue to appear significant to global expansion programs as strong educational and health systems. While the focus of social workers entails the care and protection of the populace who are vulnerable, pertinent aspects of their legislature relate to overall workforce development. This relation is due to the fact that since they operate within systems of programs, interventions, and benefits that are accorded by civil, societal, community, and governmental contributors, proper facilitation of protection and welfare of economically and socially disadvantaged families and persons are accorded (Huebner, 2016).
In the process of building any workforce, imperative aspects rest upon the design and implementation of legislation that recognizes, funds and supports workers and the work they perform among the populace. Within the context of social services, this design and implementation often work within the much broader context of social protection or that of child reformation and protection efforts; indicating that to effect an achievement of tangible results among vulnerable populations, a trained, monitored, effective and properly funded workforce is highly essential. Further, public sector legislation and policies remain fundamental to the overall creation of structural support that is formal in nature and facilitates the education of workers, their financing, identity and overall status. Within particular countries, the availability of legislation and policies that accord a mandate for and define workforce development affects profoundly the sustainability and development of a particular workforce such as the social service industry. While workforce legislation often relates to particular work types, the legislation process is normally followed by an effective enactment and implementation. Numerous present laws do not follow due processes in the implementation effort mostly at local levels. This non-implementation does not occur due to lack of will but usually results from not having adequate resources and limited accountability and authority (Huebner, 2016).
The methodology of a particular peer-reviewed report indicates the featuring of an overview of workforce supportive legislation and policies in fifteen different countries (Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, 2015). Within the report, for the sole determination of analyzing policies that are country-level in nature and pertinent legislative frameworks within the report, UNICEF used the research capabilities of DLA Piper to conduct proper assessments within this area of the legislature. In doing this, researchers tirelessly covered pertinent legislation relevant to workforce development, predominantly those relating to the social services workforce among thirteen low and middle-income countries selected to appear within the 2015 report due to the continual development of workforce strengths within each of the participatory countries. While this comprehensive research was primarily done through desk-based efforts by DLA Piper, major assistance originated from the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance in the form of an effort complementary strategy through the review and analysis of existing human gaps within applicable legislation. Principally, a major placing of emphasis was on legislation that name worker titles, those that outline regulatory structures such as the registration and licensing of workers, those that define their roles, and those that grant other powers, which relate to the enforcement and training of pertinent regulations for the workforce. In doing this, researchers found momentous discrepancies in legislation regarding job duties, titles, structure, and funding (Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, 2016).
According to the research conclusions, present information relating to frameworks of the legislature, which regulate social service systems and workforce remain disseminated and are found in reports that delineate descriptive programs, grey literature, and situational analyses concerning individual regions or countries. Given substantial law deviations and policies, and their implementation on a number of various fields within workforce development, it becomes increasingly problematic to analyze overall legislative trends. Nonetheless, studies indicate that over the past years, an increase in noticeable advancement in the number of countries developing legislative policies relating to workforce development, particularly the social service system, has augmented tremendously (Harachi, 2014). Such countries continue to be forerunners in developing and creating a continually robust workforce and one anchored on foundational policies and laws that form legal decrees, further ensuring governance structures that are appropriate in nature and processes that recurrently implement them. Such policies have witnessed resounding success in countries such as Cambodia among others (Harachi, 2014).
Societal Concerns
In looking at societal concerns, workforce diversity remains a primary apprehension for most workforce developmental strategies and in most business settings (Ongori & Agolla, 2007). In today’s organizations, the recognition and management of workforce diversity remain integral. While numerous articles exist on the topic of workforce diversity, its definition remains vague and indirect in most cases (Ongori & Agolla, 2007). Intrinsically, workforce diversity remains a complex phenomenon to effectively manage within organizations; however, its efficient management results in prompt effectiveness, particularly with the dynamic changes occurring around the globe. Studies postulate that workforce diversity is a developmental strategy that is attuned to the cultivation of success and the future of dynamic growth especially in the competitive labor markets (Ongori & Agolla, 2007). Moreover, workforce diversity management continues to evolve as a significant issue in both private organizations and governments; its importance mainly accruing from free labor movements through phenomena such as globalization and the constant fight for human rights. In relation to workforce development, workforce diversity as a societal concern has been a major problem in developing nations and this focuses on Africa. Through globalization and the need for companies to spread across various parts of the world, the importance of workforce diversity in the realization of noteworthy workforce development becomes attainable.
As part of a workforce development strategy, Wu writes a report delineating the impact volunteerism has on the society and the concerns it projects to overall benefits enjoyed by the society at large (Wu, 2011). Among its impacts on the society, workforce development, and in particular the strategy of volunteerism affects social connections profoundly; it also affects the process of community building, civic engagements, and the process of public goods and services delivery. In terms of social connections, workforce development aids in strengthening these intricate connections through volunteering strategies. In doing this, the nature of collaboration results in various outcomes such as networks, community partnerships, proper funds, advocacy, invitation, and support among others. Such concerns remain pertinent to the society in relation to workforce development since people need to understand that proper strategies will lead to more effective and positive returns on the society. Studies by AmeriCorps in 2008 indicated that the service sector would augment the capacities of people to lead cohesive communities due to proper workforce development strategies (Wu, 2011). While the Wu report culminates and summarizes this study, it remains an underlying fact that societal concerns stem from the capability of leading successful workforce developmental strategies that come from community-based movements, which have aided an inverse relationship between voluntarism and crime (Institute for Social Research and Community Development, 2008). Moreover, the society faces issues to do with how schools and agencies prepare persons to re-enter or enter the workforce; the provision of learning opportunities by organizations; and the response by organizations to the changes that affect the efficiency of the workforce (Ouye, 2011).
Educational Concerns
Educational concerns often involve the development of skills and the engagement of specialized training through predetermined skill sets. In a peer-reviewed report by Mills et al. (2012), skill is defined as a single unit or a combination of units linked to a regulatory requirement or license. Mills further states that skill remains to be the most significant concern when it comes to education and is the foremost requirement for proper workforce development (Mills et al., 2012). Presently, little quantitative research exists on the various contributions skills make to workforce development, and this makes their involvement a major educational concern. To illustrate this point further, a look at the Skills Australia’s report on skills for prosperity policy recommendations continue to state and depict the use of skills as a roadmap for vocational training and education, further supporting the educational concern for skill. Moreover, present trends prefer modularizations as a process of delivering packaged learning in the form of outcomes in skill knowledge and their modes of applications (Cedefop 2008, 2011). As an educational concern, training packages are highly effective as exhibited in Australian patterns of training package qualifications (Misko, 2010). Among educational concerns also is the development of skill sets in training packages. A case in point is Australia; while groundwork on the inclusivity of pertinent skill sets in training packages took place in 2004, finalized reports, and reviews of apposite aspects such as development, design, and implementation took place proposing several novel directions for their eventual augmentation. This progression in skills, skill set, and specialized training packages indicates vital educational concerns.
Conclusion
Workforce development remains both challenging and complex. However, it presages high rewards when implemented efficiently and in the right way. The major aim of workforce development remains to ensure that organizations, workers, and systems continue to function properly resulting in maximum efficiency and the assurance of high-quality service delivery that increasingly elevates the outcomes of clients. Therefore, in the achievement of this goal, not only is an understanding of pertinent educational, societal, and legislative concerns plausible but also there is a need for the implementation of multi-level approaches in the development of necessary workforces.
References
Cedefop. (2008). Terminology of European education and training policy: a selection of 100 key terms . Luxembourg: Office of Official Publications of the European Communities.
Cedefop. (2011). Unitization And Modularization For Flexibility And Mobility In VET . Luxembourg: Office of Official Publications of the European Communities. Retrieved from http://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/working-with-us/public- procurements/18551.aspx
Global Social Service Workforce Alliance. (2015). The State of the Social Service Workforce 2015 Report: A Multi-Country Peer Review . Retrieved from http://www.socialserviceworkforce.org/resources/state-social-service-workforce-2015-report
Global Social Service Workforce Alliance. (2016). The State of the Social Service Workforce 2016 Report: A Review of Five Years of Workforce Strengthening. . Retrieved from http://www.socialserviceworkforce.org/resources/state-social-service-workforce-2016-report-review-five-years-workforce-strengthening
Harachi, T. (2014). Review of Social Work Practice: An Emphasis on Public Social and Child Welfare.National Institute of Social Affairs and UNICEF . Retrieved from http://www.socialserviceworkforce.org/system/files/resource/files/Review%20of%20Social%20Work%20Practice%20-%20An%20Emphasis%20on%20Public%20Social%20and%20Child%20Welfare.pdf
Huebner, G. (2016). A Review of Legislation and Policies that Support the Social Service Workforce in Lower- and Middle-Income Countries (pp. 1-23). United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) & the United States Agency for International Development(USAID). Retrieved from http://www.socialserviceworkforce.org/system/files/resource/files/Review%2520of%2520Legislation%2520and%2520Policies%2520that%2520Support%2520the%2520SSW%2520in%2520Low%2520and%2520Middle%2520Income%2520Countries.pdf
Institute for Social Research and Community Development. (2008). National Survey on Volunteerism in Kenya – Perspectives, Structures & Systems .
Mills, J., Bowman, K., Crean, D., & Ranshaw, D. (2012). Workforce skills development and engagement in training through skill sets: literature review . Adelaide: National Center for Vocational Education Research (NCVER). Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED531867.pdf
Misko, J. (2010). Responding to changing skill demands: training packages and accredited courses . Adelaide: NCVER.
Ongori, H., & Agolla, E. (2007). Critical review of literature on workforce diversity. African Journal Of Business Management , 072-076. Retrieved from http://www.academicjournals.org/journal/AJBM/article-full-text-pdf/2D1C0DE16759
Ouye, J. (2011). Five Trends that Are Dramatically Changing Work and the Workplace . Knoll, Inc. Retrieved from http://www.knoll.com/document/1352940439324/WP_FiveTrends.pdf
Roche, A.M. & Skinner, N. (2005). An Introduction to Workforce Development. In N. Skinner, A.M. Roche, J. O’Connor, Y. Pollard, & C. Todd (Eds.), Workforce Development TIPS (Theory Into Practice Strategies): A Resource Kit for the Alcohol and Other Drugs Field. National Centre for Education and Training on Addiction (NCETA), Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
Wu, H. (2011). Social Impact of Volunteerism (pp. 1-22). Points of Light Institute. Retrieved from http://www.pointsoflight.org/sites/default/files/site-content/files/social_impact_of_volunteerism_pdf.pdf
