COSBOA has called upon the all levels of government, all businesses and workers to embrace training, skills development and learning for the next four months.
Peter Strong, CEO of COSBOA stated “we have hundreds of thousands of work teams around Australia, some of whom are fully functional, others who are semi-functional and many who are in hibernation. This is an opportunity for training, skills development and virtual teamwork to maintain mental health and mental capacity for workers and business owners as well as ensuring the business can respond quickly when COVID goes away or is brought to heel.”
COSBOA members know that people forced to work from home – workers and their families as well as the self-employed – will confront boredom and many other issues. Being at home for long periods is not a holiday. This is a time when work teams and families can come together and learn new skills, develop knowledge and enjoy each other’s company while being constructive. Australia can come out of this COVID crisis with more skills and knowledge.
Mr Strong added “there are millions of people getting $750 a week from the government. Not many of them will enjoy being at home playing endless computer games or watching movie after movie without becoming dispirited and bored. If possible, employers, the leaders of those teams, can organise training and skills development online that will benefit the workers and the business. Employers must be able to do this without interference from those few unions who see the COVID crisis as an opportunity to push ideological agendas rather than health and well-being strategies.”
There are also opportunities for people to learn new languages, new technology skills, develop more knowledge around history, develop their knowledge of the art, develop their own artistic skills, improve key vocational skills and knowledge, and more. To do so requires people to support each other, to perhaps develop competitions with other teams, to ensure healthy minds and good communications are maintained and indeed improved.
Mr Strong added “the state governments in particular can get on board with skills development and skills acquisition. They can offer financial support to employees who are prepared to contribute some of their own funds for formal qualifications. They can gear up private RTOs and TAFES to give their best when their best is needed. Which is now.”
Peter also published an article on this subject in Flying Solo. Read it here.
