Workforce Development: The Latest Silver Bullet?

The term 'Workforce Development’ is used with increasing frequency by policy makers, academics and labour market practitioners. On the surface, it is a relatively unproblematic term, yet closer investigation suggests that it is often used as a 'catch-all ' phrase, which may have quite different meanings and implications, depending upon the user and the context. In this exploratory paper, I first trace the genesis of the term, noting its theoretical underpinnings in systems thinking. I then discuss some of the drivers behind the evolution of the concept of Workforce Development and examine why it appears to have supplanted notions of workforce or manpower 'planning’. Using the health and disability sector as a case study, I highlight some of the differences in how the term is used, and discuss the implications. Finally I ask if the use of a new term, reflecting a presumably significant shift in ways of thinking about the 'workforce’, translates into actions that do, in fact, 'develop’ that workforce.