Community

  Two months ago it was twenty six percent of teenagers 15-19 who were looking for work, now that figure has risen to twenty eight percent in the same age group. It’s not easy to find a job if you are a teenager and, if you do, to know how long the job might last. The fluidity in today’s markets leaves a lot to be desired and is rapidly festering on our youth an unemployment sore which is getting harder and harder to clear up. It’s actually at the stage that those in their 50’s, with their own home and assets are the lucky ones; we’re looking at generations here who may never have that level of security. And it’s not just here, the youth unemployment problems are worldwide and causing massive social unrest, especially in European countries. So what has brought us to this day? What is causing these huge imbalances in opportunities for our young people which, incidentally, places huge stress on their families who are supporting them through awkward economic times, they are, possibly, experiencing themselves? Do we say that globalisation has ‘tightened’ up the markets and not as many people are needed in the workforce due to enhanced technologies? Or is it the population of the world which has ‘overrun’ the number of job vacancies available leaving a huge chasm that teenagers are slipping into? This all sounds a bit too simplistic to me. It’s about better business planning for the future and considering again youth employment rates which allows for experience on the job and a start into a meaningful life. It’s about forward-thinking policies being put in place to look after the future, so that our youth have real incentives to stay here and not just drift across ‘The Ditch’. It’s a given that […]

Over the last few months some disturbing events have taken place round the world. There is the ongoing debt saga sweeping Europe primarily affecting Italy, Greece, Spain and the United kingdom. There is the sorry state of the US economy and the way in which it is spiralling, seemingly without a pilot, towards a prolonged depression and long-required period of recovery. Then we have Libya, Egypt, Tunisia and Syria examples of monopolistic nations where rogue leaders have been dealt to by totally angry and frustrated populaces. The above mentioned is enough for this editorial to deal with, quite frankly. Because through these examples events is one underlying theme; the people are dissatisfied, the people are being ‘ripped off’. Two articles in this issue give you more of a picture of unhappiness. One is Globalisation versus Localisation and the other A small town in the middle of nowhere. In both there is a theme; money is power and only a few people are benefiting from it. And when you bring into the mix economic problems in Europe and the riots in London you get more of a picture of people being left behind. There are too many people with time on their hands, too many people with no money who have been displaced. There are too many people with too little money, working for global conglomerates with little recall for better conditions. Those who riot in Greece and Spain are organised thugs or people wanting better conditions. In London the death (murder) of a man which caused civil unrest and massive looting also included many, many people who were thugs layabouts and itinerants…as well as the British Olympic ambassador who was seen on TV by her mother. There is too much unhappiness and too much of it is caused by greed. […]

With an ever challenging Corporate Environment business leaders would agree there is a need to take a renewed view of how to best maximise the output from the employees they have. Organisations are challenged to attract, retain, engage and enhance productivity from scarce resources. In addition to this already significant and consuming challenge, many corporations realise that if they haven’t already, they now need to get serious about how to lessen their global footprint, increase their corporate social responsibility, and make a positive contribution toward the wellness of the planet. Where does your organisation rate on these areas? Are you leading the way like some of the top corporate businesses in Australia and around the world? Are you flourishing when it comes to the people within your business and the impact you are having on the community and planet? If the answer is NO, what affect might this have on your business? These are the questions you need to be asking. Beyond this you need to be searching for new answers, be involved in new conversations and push the boundaries of what is not only feasible to drive your business into new frontiers, but  what is possible at every edge of the boundaries. The businesses that thrive in this decade and beyond will be those who are willing to engage innovative thinking, push boundaries, take a fresh look at their values and be brave enough to start a new conversation. That new conversation started at the World Wellness Project Summit. The inaugural summit was held in Melbourne, Australia where over 40 speakers from around the world came together to engage on the health of business, the health of individuals, and the wellness of the planet. The relatively new fields of positive psychology, positive organisational scholarship and workplace wellbeing are becoming robust […]