Third sector workforce dilemmas

Abstract

This research explored the current demand-supply disjuncture for appropriately qualified and experienced staff for community services and addressed the question- how can a local service sector respond locally to this emerging issue? In 2006 the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare undertook a review of the available literature on the community services workforce and identified shortages of qualified staff and skills deficits among current staff as common themes (Vaughn 2006). The Australian Community Sector Survey (Queensland)(2006) also found that (58%) of respondents indicated that they experienced difficulties in attracting appropriately qualified staff in the previous year. While workforce development has emerged as an area of research interest within organisation studies there is little focus on third sector organization workforces which is a critical component of community services workforce development. Nonprofit organizations are major providers of government funded community services alongside some government provision in mainly statutory areas.