More Women encouraged to join the ranks of Firefighters in Victoria

The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB) in Victoria has launched its Gender Inclusion Action Plan 2010-2013, showcasing the organisation’s commitment to becoming an employer of choice for women.

The plan aims to deliver an inclusive, accessible organisation that delivers inclusive and accessible services. The plan lists 45 actions endorsed by the MFB Board and was launched at the MCG on 9 March by Danielle Green, Parliamentary Secretary for Police and Emergency Services.

“We currently have 1737 firefighters, of which 56 are female. That equates to 3.1 per cent of our operational workforce. With this new plan in plan in place, we’d like to reduce that gap,” said Ken Latta, MFB Chief Executive Officer and Chief Officer. Read more

More women choosing accounting as a career

The accounting profession is attracting greater numbers of women, according to statistics released today by Australia’s peak accounting body, CPA Australia.

CPA Australia CEO Alex Malley said the ratio of women to men in the accounting profession had moved towards parity over the past decade or so – a trend that was reflected in CPA Australia’s membership figures.

The figures show 57 per cent of new entrants into the CPA program for 2010 were women and women now accounted for 43 per cent of CPA Australia’s 129,000 members.

In 2000, CPA Australia’s membership included just over 27,000 females. This figure has now reached 55,000 compared with nearly 74,000 men. Read more

Next Generation of Hospitality and Tourism Managers

With 335,000 job opportunities forecast over the next three years*, the Australian tourism and hospitality industry is set to make a come back in 2010. However, job seekers should take note, the days of rising through the ranks without a qualification are over.

Stuart Wiggins, deputy head of the William Blue College of Hospitality Management, says there has never been a better time to pursue a career in tourism and hospitality management.

“Demand for highly skilled hospitality and tourism management professionals remains high, despite suggestions the industry took a hit during the GFC. And while our sector has suffered in some shape or form, the industry has managed to retain staff and keep busy,” he said.

According to Wiggins the professionalisation of the industry has resulted in employers placing a high priority on business qualifications and all major hospitality and tourism organisations now require graduates and trainees to have a degree qualification.

“Employers are looking for graduates with more than just entry-level skills. They want industry-ready professionals equipped with strong interpersonal and communications skills, a good work ethic, a sound knowledge of food and beverage in addition to business and management skills and qualifications.”

He has also seen a growing number of students studying with the intention of going into business for themselves. Read more

Employers in hot pursuit of Plug ‘N Play Graduates

With baby boomers cutting back on their hours, marketing industries including PR, event management and journalism, will struggle to fill the void.

“The alumni of 2009 and 2010 have large boots to fill as baby boomers start to step aside. As a result employers will be looking for graduates that ‘have it all’ and can hit the ground running,” says David McDonald, Head of College, APM College of Business and Communication.

“Employers are not looking for ‘technicrats’. They want graduates with practical experience behind them, who can apply that experience the moment they walk in the door. A solid knowledge of the industry, a can-do attitude and the drive to deliver immediate results is a must in this fast-paced industry,” he said.

“Star-graduates will always be in demand, but businesses are under pressure to identify those that can manage a number of different responsibilities. They want staff that adapt quickly, are flexible, multi-skilled and can wear the many ‘hats’ that come with their role.” Read more

Increased demand for Complimentary Healthcare Practitioners

The health and wellness industry in Australia is booming and is now estimated to be worth $2.5 billion annually. According to the Australasian College of Natural Therapies (ACNT), this increased demand for complimentary healthcare practitioners is providing more opportunities for job-seekers beyond traditional natural and beauty therapy practice.

“Australians are increasingly turning to natural therapies and alternative medicines as they become more health-conscious. Society has become more aware of the options available beyond mainstream medicine that can help improve their quality of life,” said Janet Olliver, ACNT head of college.

Janet Olliver says with over five million Australians visiting complementary healthcare practitioners annually, there has been a corresponding dramatic growth in demand for these services.

“Therapies such as massage, complementary medicine and aromatherapy, are sought after by an increasing number of people every year. With fewer than 6,000 naturopaths Australia-wide, the demand for skilled practitioners will continue to climb in the next few years,” she said. Read more

How to work the office Christmas party to get ahead

While the office Christmas party is the time of the year when companies keep their promise of making work fun, the mix of Baby Boomers, Gen X and Y can create a formula for disaster for young up-and-comers, says a leading authority on Gen Y.

For the young and ambitious, the office Christmas party provides the perfect opportunity to network with those who can give you a leg up on the corporate ladder. But whether you’re there to work the room, or just want to have fun, never forget you’re still at work and as such, all the usual rules still apply.

Dominic Thurbon, leading authority on Gen Y from the Centre for Skills Development and a Gen Y himself, has 10 tips for his peers on how to make a Christmas party work for them.

Dominic Thurbon’s Ten Tips for Gen Y to work the Christmas party to get ahead are:

1. Have a plan and make it work
There are two main objectives. One is to have a good time and celebrate – let’s not forget it is a party! The
second is to meet people and network in a relaxed environment.

2. Work the room
Do it like you’re not working it at all. In organisations where senior management is dominated by Xers and
Boomers, there can sometimes be unfair perceptions about younger people at work. You do yourself no favours if you’re fake. Stick to genuine conversation and show interest in other people. Read more

Increase in job seeking activity

In what could be a further sign of Australia’s economic recovery, the number of employees applying for jobs in other organisations has jumped dramatically during the past six months.

It’s been a tough year for recruitment agencies. Those who were barely hanging on before the economic downturn, were forced to close their doors at the height of the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) when employers introduced a recruitment freeze. Now the job market is beginning to recover, employees are once again on the move and that’s good news for the recruitment industry.

According to Leadership Management Australasia’s latest Leadership, Employment and Direction Survey, one in six employees say they have recently applied to leave their current employment and more than half say they are considering moving on.

The survey also revealed that one in five are actively looking around – an increase of 36% since June 2009. Read more

Give Your Career a Boost in the Australian Defence Force Reserves

When most people think of Reservists they think of weekend warriors running around in the Australian bush playing war games. Fortunately for all concerned, the reality of life as a Reservist in the Australian Defence Force (ADF) is quite different.

For one thing, Reservists are no longer limited to one weekend a month and two weeks a year in the Army Reserve. These days Reservists can be found performing a variety of different roles in the Navy, Army and Air Force and the ADF wants to encourage more women to join the ranks. More than 10,000 women currently serve as full-time members and Reservists in the ADF – 18 percent in the Navy, 12 percent in the Army, and 17 percent in the Air Force. Read more

Six Figures Expands Offering to Deliver Executives More

Six Figures, the Executive Job site for $100K+ jobs and talent jobs across all industries and professions, has launched a new website design and expanded the offering to include Executive Jobs, News and Services.

Due to growing demand by high salary earners for more specific career and industry related content, Six Figures is meeting demand by catering for additional aspects of a professional’s career, with career development, directorships, education and industry news forming a part of its extended offering.

Since launching in March 2008, Six Figures, Australia’s only stand alone executive job site, has grown to over 25,000 members ($100K+ job seekers) and over 300 advertisers spanning government, education, corporate and recruitment firms. With a focus on quality, service and building relationships the site is continuing to grow and deliver success to both members and our advertisers in sourcing top passive talent via their job ads. Read more