Apprentice wages have come under scrutiny following a report that an apprentice wage is only marginally above the dole, putting trainees below the poverty line. The survey, undertaken by Group Training Australia, shows first-year apprentices could not afford an adequate living standard unless their award provided them generous allowances. Federal Vocational and Further Education Minister […]
John Howard has put $9.5 billion on the table, $800 a year for parents with school-aged children. Kevin Rudd was less thrifty with $2.4 billion, offering a means-tested $750 rebate that excluded school fees. Howard denied that high spending would increase the pressure on rising inflation and interest rates, saying that as long as the […]
Working parents can breathe a sigh of relief following childcare policies released by both the Coalition and Labor. Labor campaigned early for childcare relief, including offering a 50 percent rebate—up to $7,500—paid quarterly to parents, a plan to build 260 new centres to cut waiting lists and a proposal to provide 15 hours a week […]
Computers are vital to the day-to-day running of a business, but they also present constant challenges for business owners—especially for those who aren’t so IT savvy. Fast advances in technology, growing storage requirements, and the daily development of new threats, such as viruses, are just a few of these challenges. So today, more than ever, […]
Labor leader Kevin Rudd has pounced upon comments by Coalition Minister for Finance Nick Minchin stating that Australia does not have a skills shortage. Rudd announced that the Coalition cannot manage inflation because of internal disagreement as to its cause. "We have Senator Minchin saying there is no skills shortage – one week ago we […]
Energy has been identified as the “biggest cost increase” by businesses. A global survey conducted by IBM found most businesses are concerned by the cost of energy, and are working towards reducing costs for their business, and for the environment. Of those surveyed, 55 percent of SMEs are moving towards a greener IT system. But […]
Forty percent of jobseekers have turned down a job due to a bad interview experience. Recruitment Solutions explains companies need to realise they too are being interviewed. Gone are the days when employers could enter an interview room with the attitude that they are in the seat of power. As the war for talent escalates […]
There are plenty of tips for job seekers on how to behave in an interview, but what’s the secret to successfully conducting one? Robert Half has prepared a guide to successfully conducting an interview. Using the right interview techniques can help employers identify a candidate that is not only technically competent, but a good fit […]
Australia’s labour force has hit the 11 million-employee mark, driving the first rise in unemployment in eight months. The jobless rate, released yesterday, rose to 4.3 percent with the corresponding number of people now in work or looking for work at 11,012,300. However, almost 13,000 jobs came onto the employment market last month, most of […]
An increasing number of employers are blocking social networking sites, such as MySpace and Facebook, reports The New York Times. A survey conducted by Barracuda Networks found more than half of businesses block access to the two sites. But it seems there is discrimination between the two, with 43.9 percent blocking MySpace, and only 25.6 […]
