scholarly journals Age Trends in the New Zealand and Australian Trades Workforce 1991 to 2001

Author(s):  
Robert Haig

This paper reports on an investigation into the age profile of New Zealand trade workers. The research was undertaken after trades employers identified that ageing trends alongside skill shortages were a significant issue for their business future. The paper compares the age profile of NZ trades workers with the age profile of both the general NZ working population and that of Australian trades workers, drawing on occupational employment data from New Zealand and Australian censuses. It also looks at migration patterns among trade workers in New Zealand. The paper notes that New Zealand has been less effective than Australia in attraction, training or retaining young people in trades and this is a prime reason the New Zealand trade workforce was ageing faster than the Australian trade workforce in the '90s. The findings suggest that, as New Zealand already faces skills shortages in some trades, there is a risk that age-related attrition will add to this in the coming years.

Author(s):  
Anne De Bruin ◽  
Paul Spoonley ◽  
Eva McLaren ◽  
Patrick Baron

Despite the recent slow-down of economic activity in New Zealand, serious skill shortages continue and are among the most severe in the OECD. In particular, the large and enduring trades-skill gap is well documented, not only in the New Zealand context but also globally. Recent policy measures, such as the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme, have been welcomed but are only a small step forward in addressing what appears to be an ongoing skills crisis in the traditional trades sector. New Zealand employers remain generally pessimistic that these measures will adequately address the skills deficit, in the short as well as longer term. Systematic barriers remain and the apprenticeship system is constrained and problematic. This paper draws on qualitative data from two studies of employers conducted under the auspices of the interdisciplinary, FRST-funded Labour Market Dynamics Research Programme. It examines the issues, challenges and solutions for enhancing apprenticeship training and ensuring a steady pop-line growth of apprentices in New Zealand. The experiences of employers inform recommendations for training providers, industry organisations and policy agencies in order that they might adapt existing and adopt new strategies to respond to skills shortages via the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. National good practice is also highlighted.


Author(s):  
Geoff Mason ◽  
Penny Mok ◽  
Peter Nunns ◽  
Phillip Stevens ◽  
Jason Timmins

This paper investigates the determinants of firms’ external skill shortages – that is, vacancies that are hard to fill for skill­related reasons. This paper utilises a specially­designed survey, the Business Strategy and Skills (BSS) module of the Business Operations Survey 2008 (BOS 2008). We estimate the determinants of firms reporting having vacancies and skill shortage in comparison to the non­skill­related vacancies using probit models and two­stage (Heckman) probit models with selection, to enable us to distinguish between those factors related with the firm posting a vacancy and those that make them difficult to fill. We consider a broad suite of variables, including firm’s size and industry, their market focus, R&D investment, innovation, previous performance (e.g. productivity), the degree of competition they are subject to.


1978 ◽  
Vol 42 (3_suppl) ◽  
pp. 1111-1116 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. Saklofske ◽  
S. B. G. Eysenck

The recently published Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire contains scales to measure the personality dimensions of Extraversion, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism, as well as a Lie (dissimulation) factor. In view of the large volume of standardization data cross-cultural studies of personality structure are possible. The questionnaire was accordingly administered to a sample of New Zealand boys ( N = 644) and girls ( N = 672), aged from 7 to 15 yr., and the New Zealand data compared with the results reported in the manual for samples of English children. The pattern of correlations between scales was similar for both samples, the correlations tending to be quite low. The majority of items loaded on their respective factors, and these factors could be clearly identified with Eysenck's personality dimensions. Factor comparisons indicated a high degree of factor similarity for boys and girls. Internal consistency reliabilities were quite satisfactory for both sexes and closely resembled those reported in the manual. Sex and age trends were also consistent with the English results. Of some interest is the fact that New Zealand children obtained higher Psychoticism scores than did English children; they also obtained lower Lie scores.


2016 ◽  
Vol 56 (11) ◽  
pp. 1897 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. Ramírez-Restrepo ◽  
H. Clark ◽  
S. Muetzel

Daily methane (CH4) emissions (g) and CH4 yield (g/kg dry matter intake) were measured from 10 dairy heifers (<1 year old) and nine rumen-fistulated cows (>6 years old) fed ryegrass (Lolium perenne) chaffage indoors. The CH4 emissions were estimated using the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique in four ~5-day periods beginning in June 2008 and repeated 4, 6 and 7 months later. Respiratory chambers were used in four ~13-day periods beginning in November 2008 and repeated 2, 5 and 6 months later. Third and fourth sulfur hexafluoride tracer periods overlapped with the first and second chamber measurement periods, respectively. Averaged over the four measurement periods the CH4 yields determined using both techniques were similar for heifers and cows. The mean CH4 yield estimated by the sulfur hexafluoride tracer technique was 25.3 ± 0.52 for heifers and 24.1 ± 0.55 for mature cows, whereas the mean CH4 yield measured in respiratory chambers was 23.7 ± 0.66 for heifers and 23.6 ± 0.66 for mature cows. Averaged over the eight measurements irrespective of technique, CH4 yields for heifers (24.5 ± 0.42) and cows (23.8 ± 0.43) were similar. There was also no difference between CH4 methods for assessing CH4 yield during the overlapping measurement periods. It was concluded that no consistent differences in CH4 yield existed between heifers and mature cows. Therefore, we do not recommend adoption of an age-related emission factor for cattle in the national inventory calculations for New Zealand.


Author(s):  
Rupert S Tipples

This paper des cribes and analyses how a labour and skills shortage in agriculture (used in the generic and inclusive sense) emerged here in New Zealand towards the end of the twentieth century and how it has been responded to by the industry and government. It delineates a collaborative response to a type of problem affecting many sectors of the New Zealand economy at the present time. A serendipitous conjunction of improved industry economics, productive policy provision, and ministerial and industry will facilitated the creation of a new pan primary industry organisation with the somewhat unwieldy title Human Capability in Agriculture and Horticulture. A picture of what happened has been built up using a range of methodologies (historical- both documentary and oral; case studies; participant observation: and action research) to explain what led to its formation and sub sequent progress. Prospects for the future are reviewed with a view to isolating critical features which may be of benefit to other industries experiencing similar labour and skills shortages.


2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Borbála Turcsán ◽  
Lisa Wallis ◽  
Judit Berczik ◽  
Friederike Range ◽  
Enikő Kubinyi ◽  
...  

Abstract In humans, age-related changes in personality occur in a non-random fashion with respect to their direction, timing, and magnitude. In dogs, there are still gaps in our knowledge about the detailed dynamics of age-related personality changes. We analysed the personality of 217 Border collies aged from 0.5 to 15 years both cross-sectionally and longitudinally using a test battery, to specify age periods when changes most prominently occur, assess the magnitude of changes, and analyse individual differences in personality change. We found that similar to humans, changes in personality occur unevenly during the dogs’ life course, however, their dynamics seems to be specific for each trait. Activity-independence decreased mostly from puppyhood (0.5–1 years) to adolescence (> 1–2 years), then continued to decrease in a slowing rate. Novelty seeking did not change markedly until middle age (> 3–6 years), then showed a steady linear decrease. Problem orientation increased strongly until middle age then showed no marked changes in later age periods. We also revealed individual differences in personality change over time, and showed that a few individuals with potential age-related impairments significantly affected the general age trajectory of some traits. These results raise caution against the over-generalisation of global age trends in dogs.


2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 1165-1178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi S Dungey ◽  
A Colin Matheson ◽  
Dominic Kain ◽  
Robert Evans

The potential for breeding Pinus radiata D. Don to improve wood stiffness (modulus of elasticity, MoE) was examined by obtaining pith-to-bark cores from trees at breast height in two independent genetic trials. The effectiveness of early selection for stiffness and indirect selection on the component traits, microfibril angle (MfA) and wood density, was determined as well as the age-related changes in the genetic variation of these traits. The first trial comprised 50 open-pollinated families in the central North Island, New Zealand. The second trial comprised 20 control-pollinated families in New South Wales, Australia. The genetic control of MfA, density, and MoE was found to be high in the corewood and moderate in the outerwood. Estimated genetic correlations suggested that early selection for most traits would be successful but could be carried out slightly earlier at the New Zealand site than at the Australian site. To maximize gain in the corewood, selection for MoE and MfA would be most effective around rings 4-8. There were no adverse correlations between MoE and MfA or density, implying that selection for MoE would also improve MfA and density.


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