Industry Group head to present 25th Kirby Lecture

Oct 12, 2004

The NSW Director of the Australian Industry Group, Mr Mark Goodsell, will present the 25th Sir Richard Kirby Public Lecture tomorrow (Wednesday 13 October).

The University of Wollongong's Faculty of Commerce and the School of Management and Marketing are hosting the talk. Mr Goodsell has been director of the Ai Group since 1999.

The Ai Group is a national employer and industry association formed on 1 July 1998 following the merger of MTIA (Metal Trades Industry Association) and the Australian Chamber of Manufactures.

Mr Goodsell has been with the MTIA and Ai Group for 19 years, primarily as an industrial advocate and adviser to the manufacturing, heavy engineering and construction sectors. His construction experience included the industrial relations management for a number of landmark NSW construction projects including the Sydney Harbour Tunnel, West Tuna and Bream B Platform Project for Esso-BHP and No6 Blastfurnace, BHP Port Kembla.

He is now responsible for the operations of the NSW branch of Ai Group, including the delivery of member services and pursuing State business and industry policy issues, including employment regulation, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) and workers' compensation, state and regional development, skills formation and vocational education.

Mr Goodsell is a member of the NSW OHS and Workers' Compensation Council, the NSW Expert Advisory Group on Drugs and Alcohol and is chair of the NSW Metal Engineering and Related Services Industry Training Advisory Board. He holds Bachelor degrees in Law and Economics.

The title of his lecture is "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore" - Australian workplace relations in the 21st century.

While it is often viewed as a stand-alone concept, the shape of a nation's workplace relations system is ultimately determined by the greater economic and social forces at work around it. Globalisation, consumerism, technology and demographics have little sympathy for slow moving traffic, or institutions.

What are the forces at work shaping our workplace relations system and can we maintain a uniquely Australian response?

Time and date: 7.30pm, Wednesday October 13

Venue: Lecture Theatre 104, McKinnon Building (Bldg 67)

Further information: Contact Associate Professor Ray Markey on 4221 3734 or Priscilla Kendall on 4221 3707.

For more information, contact:

media@uow.edu.au
University of Wollongong
Ph: (02) 4221 5942; fax (02) 4221 3128