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The purpose of this paper is to propose a new mixed-integer formulation for the time-dependent multi-skilled resource-constrained project scheduling problem (MSRCPSP/t) considering learning effect. The proposed model extends the basic form of the MSRCPSP by three concepts: workforces have different efficiencies, it is possible for workforces to improve their efficiencies by learning from more efficient workers and the availability of workforces and resource requests of activities are time-dependent. To spread dexterity from more efficient workforces to others, this study has integrated the concept of diffusion maximization in social networks into the proposed model. In this respect, the diffusion of dexterity is formulated based on the linear threshold model for a network of workforces who share common skills. The proposed model is bi-objective, aiming to minimize make-span and total costs of project, simultaneously.

The MSRCPSP is an non-deterministic polynomial-time hard (NP-hard) problem in the strong sense. Therefore, an improved version of the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm II (IM-NSGA-II) is developed to optimize the make-span and total costs of project, concurrently. For the proposed algorithm, this paper has designed new genetic operators that help to spread dexterity among workforces. To validate the solutions obtained by the IM-NSGA-II, four other evolutionary algorithms – the classical NSGA-II, non-dominated ranked genetic algorithm, Pareto envelope-based selection algorithm II and strength Pareto evolutionary algorithm II – are used. All algorithms are calibrated via the Taguchi method.

Comprehensive numerical tests are conducted to evaluate the performance of the IM-NSGA-II in comparison with the other four methods in terms of convergence, diversity and computational time. The computational results reveal that the IM-NSGA-II outperforms the other methods in terms of most of the metrics. Besides, a sensitivity analysis is implemented to investigate the impact of learning on objective function values. The outputs show the significant impact of learning on objective function values.

The proposed model and algorithm can be used for scheduling activities of small- and large-size real-world projects.

Based on the previous studies reviewed in this paper, one of the research gaps is the MSRCPSP with time-dependent resource capacities and requests. Therefore, this paper proposes a multi-objective model for the MSRCPSP with time-dependent resource profiles. Besides, the evaluation of learning effect on efficiency of workforces has not been studied sufficiently in the literature. In this study, the effect of learning on efficiency of workforces has been considered. In the scarce number of proposed models with learning effect, the researchers have assumed that the efficiency of workforces increases as they spend more time on performing a skill. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the effect of learning from more efficient co-workers has not been studied in the literature of the RCPSP. Therefore, in this research, the effect of learning from more efficient co-workers has been investigated. In addition, a modified version of the NSGA-II algorithm is developed to solve the model.

The purposes of the study are to understand ICT workforce employability in Malaysia, to identify the causes that influence the growth of skill gaps in the ICT workforce, and to determine ways to reduce these gaps.

The methodology of the study comprised project reports and a literature review.

The findings show that not only Malaysia but also Australia and India are facing the challenges of demand‐supply gap as regards a quality ICT‐related workforce. The study also indicates that these countries do have similar obstacles and issues of sufficiently trained and experienced ICT graduates.

This study suggests that in the light of the skills demanded by industries and organizations, ICT workers could be trained through an updated course curriculum in line with the needs of industry.

The employability of the workforce in general has been discussed in many papers. This paper specifically discusses employability issues of the information and communication technology (ICT) workforce, and provides values to ICT educators and employers, as well as to potential ICT graduates.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the “skills gap” concerns that are increasingly prevalent in the USA and globally. In particular, the paper explores the current skills gap debate as a component of the American economy. This is an important issue as there is an increased economic uncertainty and global competition impacting many sectors. The paper specifically defines the current skills gap dilemma with respect to the USA and uses the Tampa, FL example of the practical implications of these concerns using recent survey and focus group data.

The research for this paper includes an outline of the economic development structures in place in Tampa, FL, a description of the existing mandate(s) to improve workforce training; the review of a key recent, public record report on workforce skills; and, the results of a focus group developed using key stakeholders. Initially, a public record document report titled Clarus Corporation (2013) “Hillsborough Community College: Workforce Development Scan” was reviewed to provide context and preliminary data to guide the research. In the second phase, a survey was conducted to develop a focus group of 18 key stakeholders in Hillsborough County. Nine of these stakeholders represented the education sector. These were purposefully selected from the Tampa Bay Higher Education Alliance (TBHEA) which represents approximately 30 regionally accredited academic institutions in the Tampa community (TBHEA, n.d.). In addition, another nine respondents were selected by purposeful selection representing employers who had experience with workforce training and development initiatives.

The group survey conducted for this paper confirms concerns by both employers and educators with respect to the existing and the future skill sets of employees. In particular, respondents note that basic skills such as communication and technical skills need more attention. Also, the focus group respondents confirm the importance of technical service certification. Fundamentally, economic development professionals, educators and employers need to develop and implement strategies and action plans to ensure that the skills gap be identified correctly and properly addressed. These initiatives must be developed with broad stakeholder input and these initiatives must be viewed as dynamic reflecting changing circumstances.

This research should be viewed as exploratory in nature. The research could serve as a template to develop and track the concerns and issues of key stakeholders in the economic development process with respect to skills in the workforce on a regional or indeed a statewide basis.

Nations, states and local governments are more active in structuring workforce development support mechanisms and specific training opportunities to assist employees and businesses. All levels of government highlight the fact that they have skilled, competitive employees to assist in recruiting new companies to consider locating in their respective jurisdictions and in retaining companies.

Having a clear understanding of the skills being demanded by employers as they strive to remain globally competitive is important. Local economic development officials, academicians and employers must be on the same page. Although relationships between these sectors are critical flexibility and adaptability are key to reflect changing demands.

The paper provides empirical evidence of the perceptions employers and educators have with respect to the skills gap issue in a fast growth jurisdiction. This jurisdiction promotes itself as having an abundant and skilled labor force. Data suggest that there are some concerns emerging from stakeholders.

This paper analyses the link between educational qualification structure and information technology (IT) in the service production process. The analysis is based on 1996 cross‐sectional data for approximately 1,000 West German firms. The empirical evidence indicates that IT capital and high‐skilled labor are complements in the production process: firms with higher IT investment output ratios employ a larger fraction of high‐skilled workers at the expense of unskilled workers. To a lesser extent, the positive IT effect carries through for workers with vocational degrees including masters and technicians. Furthermore, we find that firms’ expectations of the future size of their high‐skilled workforce are positively related to their initial IT investment output ratio. To account for censoring in the employment variables, the empirical analysis uses Powell’s Censored Least Absolute Deviations estimators as well as standard Tobit estimators.

Looks at the 2000 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference held at the University of Cardiff in Wales on 6/7 September 2000. Spotlights the 76 or so presentations within and shows that these are in many, differing, areas across management research from: retail finance; precarious jobs and decisions; methodological lessons from feminism; call centre experience and disability discrimination. These and all points east and west are covered and laid out in a simple, abstract style, including, where applicable, references, endnotes and bibliography in an easy‐to‐follow manner. Summarizes each paper and also gives conclusions where needed, in a comfortable modern format.

The construction industry is dynamic and often unregulated due to its complex, project-based nature. This makes the task of implementing human resource management (HRM) functions more difficult than in other economic sectors. This is particularly the case for developing countries which rely on a migrant, casual, and transient workforce. Despite offering flexibility, a transient workforce can lead to unpredictable rates of absenteeism and unsatisfactory productivity. This paper links HRM practices in the construction industry of the developing world to rates of absenteeism across three segments of the construction workforce – foremen, skilled workers, and unskilled workers. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

A survey targeting 60 construction sites in Beirut, Lebanon form the basis of the analysis. Within each site, measures of absenteeism for foremen, skilled, and unskilled workers were solicited along with other data on HRM onsite.

The results suggest a regression model for worker absenteeism based on tenure of work as well as the absenteeism of workers at the next hierarchical level onsite.

This study is among the first to show a link between the mechanisms by which construction workers are employed (contract-based foremen vs daily/weekly labourers – both skilled and unskilled) and the rate of absenteeism seen onsite. Given the role of absenteeism in construction productivity, having a good understanding of the underlying causes of absenteeism is critical to the design of mitigating policies.

Human resources are one of the most important and effective elements for companies. In other words, employees are a competitive advantage. This issue is more vital in the supply chains and production systems, because of high need for manpower in the different specification. Therefore, manpower planning is an important, essential and complex task. The purpose of this paper is to present a manpower planning model for production departments. The authors consider workforce with individual and hierarchical skills with skill substitution in the planning. Assuming workforce demand as a factor of uncertainty, a two-stage stochastic model is proposed.

To solve the proposed mixed-integer model in the real-world cases and large-scale problems, a Benders’ decomposition algorithm is introduced. Some test instances are solved, with scenarios generated by Monte Carlo method. For some test instances, to find the number of suitable scenarios, the authors use the sample average approximation method and to generate scenarios, the authors use Latin hypercube sampling method.

The results show a reasonable performance in terms of both quality and solution time. Finally, the paper concludes with some analysis of the results and suggestions for further research.

Researchers have attracted to other uncertainty factors such as costs and products demand in the literature, and have little attention to workforce demand as an uncertainty factor. Furthermore, most of the time, researchers assume that there is no difference between the education level and skill, while they are not necessarily equivalent. Hence, this paper enters these elements into decision making.

Multi‐skilling has been the most enduring element of patient‐focused care in the UK. A recent report from the Manchester University Health Service Management Unit (HSMU) extended the multi‐skilling debate and offered a framework for changing National Health Service workforce policy along multi‐skilling lines. Examines the main HSMU issues in the light of broader empirical and other evidence. Assesses the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to multi‐skilling. Concludes that multi‐skilling protagonists still face a number of challenges.

The purpose of this paper, with an organisational focus, is to offer a novel examination of the association between workforce nationality composition and workplace flexibility practices (WFPs), an under-researched topic with high potential benefits at microeconomic and macroeconomic level.

British data are used, as the UK has experienced significant immigrant flows and has a relatively high level of labour market flexibility. The Workplace Employee Relations Survey 2011, sampling 2,500 British workplaces, offers for the first time data on workforce nationality. Via zero-inflated regressions, the number of non-UK nationals employed in a workplace is assessed against a wide range of numerical, functional and cost WFPs.

There are significant links between WFPs and the employment of non-UK nationals, and these are distinct for non-UK nationals from the European Economic Area (EEA) when compared to non-UK nationals from outside the EEA. The former are more likely to be in “good” employment, with job security, working from home, job autonomy and training. Yet, both types of non-UK nationals are more likely to be employed in workplaces making high use of causal contracts. The implications of these results are discussed.

The paper addresses the need to research migration from a relatively new perspective of WFPs while also taking into account the diversity of non-UK nationals. The topic is of importance to organisations, as well as to labour market and migration policymakers. Timely results are of value in view of heightened interest in migration.

Cross‐utilization of the labour force is widely recognized as a method for improving productivity in service organizations. This paper investigates the effect of cross‐utilization on workforce staff size, at the aggregate level, for a two‐skilled labour force. Workers are assumed to have 100 per cent productivity in their primary skill, and cross‐training policies ranging from zero to 100 per cent productivity in the secondary skill were investigated across a variety of labour demand conditions. The results suggest that small degrees of cross‐utilization can provide significant workforce savings and that there tend to be diminishing returns beyond 50 per cent productivity in the secondary skill.