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Have we really seen the end of the "American Century"? Have we entered the "Chinese Century" as our leaders would have us believe? Should we ignore that biting bear nipping at our knees?
A lot of people, including our leaders, think that the "American Century" was all about the rise of American business and its dominance as an advocate of cultural change amongst the nations of the world. In fact, some even go so far as to suggest that the "American Century" ended just as it had begun, at the end of one century and the beginning of another. There is even the suggestion that the "Chinese Century" has already begun for no other reason than it appears China is on the rise while the rest of the world appears to be in decline. Matched against the United States there is a belief that the current Bush administration has isolated itself in terms of foreign policy and this has somehow caused the change. Meanwhile China is opening up to the world and the economy is booming.
In fact the "American Century" was coined by Henry Luce the founder and editor of Time Magazine. In the 1930's and early 1940's Luce was an ambitious businessman who wanted nothing more than to be a leader in the realm of US politics.
If we are honestly going to confront the major education and employment challenges we face today and in the next ten years, we need all the stakeholders involved.
For the last few months I have been leading the review of one of the world's largest human capital services companies. With more than a dozen business units and subsidiaries in Australia alone and locations spanning the globe, the review has touched on the pointy end of engagement with government and the public sector, labour and education policies and the rise of knowledge and intellectual property as a service component.
While conducting the review I have also had the fortune of seeing global research and data on the movement of labour, migration of skilled and unskilled workers and the dynamics involved in developing economies strengthening education infrastructures and skills training for the future.
As some of you will know I have also, in the last twelve months, spent time reviewing higher education frameworks in South Africa, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Malaysia.
On a recent trip to South Africa I noted a move towards consolidating vocational and technical education across what we in Australia would call TAFE.
The following article relates to the development of a guest worker scheme for Pacific Islanders to fill job gaps in unskilled labour areas.
I think the view expressed by former Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews in his opinion piece "Nation needs guest worker explanation" (The Australian Financial Review, 30 June 2008) denies the view that to do nothing is equally as flawed as simply transporting a program from one country to this. The approach by the New Zealand Government is to do nothing more than to support local industry and business, and while there is a significant amount of engagement between the employee and the employer, and less so from authorities, the fundamentals exist. That is, a ready supply of labour, the remittance of income back to the islands with its potential positive impact on local economies and the continued success of small business.
If the Australian Government is to adopt a guest worker scheme, then it needs to improve on the New Zealand model, and one way of doing that is by having a "middle man" who assists small business with issues related to contracts and pastoral care while working with government agencies on matters to do with immigration. That said, the point everyone appears to be missing is the very real need to look at national skills reform as a priority - and that includes changing some of the entrenched views we have.
Responsible business practices can in many ways build trust and social capital, contributing to broad-based development and sustainable markets.
As many of you know, I have been a strong and passionate advocate of the work of the United Nations, as it has applied to matters relating to governance, intellectual property and the protection of rights, particularly for small business. More recently I have taken the decision to align my business interests with those of the United Nations through the signing of the United Nations Global Compact. I am pleased to inform SansGov partners and clients that this morning I signed the final remaining letter of intent from the UN Secretary General in order for SansGov to become a full member of the Compact. You may wonder what the Compact is all about and perhaps, more importantly, what it means to you as a client or as a partner.
The Global Compact is a framework for businesses that are committed to aligning their operations and strategies with ten universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, the environment and anti-corruption. As the world's largest, global corporate citizenship initiative, the Global Compact is first and foremost concerned with exhibiting and building the social legitimacy of business and markets.
Business, trade and investment are essential pillars for prosperity and peace. But in many areas, business is too often linked with serious dilemmas - for example, exploitative practices, corruption, income equality, and barriers that discourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Responsible business practices can in many ways build trust and social capital, contributing to broad-based development and sustainable markets.
