Employment Issues and Running a Business

YEARS 7-10 COMMERCE

CORE 2.2

EMPLOYMENT ISSUES

OPTION 11

RUNNING A BUSINESS

HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 1 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ PLEASE READ THIS STATEMENT ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AND THEIR PURPOSE

The purpose of the project has been to take the programming focus off the restrictive, often slavish, following of every dot point in the old syllabuses to focus on the big picture learning and to incorporate the elements of the Quality teaching document into student tasks to increase the significance of the learning for students.

The programs are NOT lesson plans and do not contain the excessive detail and overlays of some programs that have developed in the HSIE subjects. They have a simple format that provides a small number of large tasks to cover the learn about and learn to statements for each topic.

In using these programs students take more responsibility for their learning, work more in groups and have greater choice about what case studies and examples they engage. Teachers can act more as facilitators, but will still need to intervene in the learning to teach explicitly concepts, skills and terminology when students find difficulty within particular tasks. All the tasks can be used for assessment for or assessment of learning purposes. Teachers can use the tasks to provide feedback to students and assess the products and processes of the task for the purpose of recording data that will be used for school reporting purposes. When using the tasks in these ways for assessment, there is no need to create additional assessment tasks and end of topic tests are not needed because teachers will have already the assessment information needed for school reporting.

Schools can add their own resources and vary the ICT suggestions, within the syllabus requirements, to match their school resources. While every attempt has been made to cover all the syllabus requirements, the units have not as yet been trialed in classrooms. Feedback is welcomed and adjustments will be made to improve the units in response to feedback.

NOTE: This particular program has been written as a model to demonstrate a combined unit of work with an emphasis on work and employment.

HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 2 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ Topic Commerce Stage 5 Combined unit Time: 40 Hours (16 wks) Core Part 2.2: Employment Issues 1. Work first 4 weeks Option 11: Running a Business 2. Business 12 weeks runs Reflects intent of Work, Employment & concurrently with Enterprise statement 3. Employment last 4 wks

Focus Students become actively engaged in planning, organising & running a business focusing on the commercial & legal aspects of employment & the work environment.

Outcomes A student: 5.1 applies consumer, financial, business, legal & employment concepts & terminology on a variety of contexts 5.2 analyses the rights & responsibilities of individuals in a range of consumer, financial, business, legal & employment contexts. 5.3 examines the role of law in society 5.4 analyses key factors affecting commercial & legal decisions 5.5 evaluates options for solving commercial & legal problems & issues 5.6 monitors & modifies the implementation of plans designed to solve commercial & legal problems & issues 5.7 researches & assesses commercial & legal information using a variety of sources 5.8 explains commercial & legal information using a variety of forms 5.9 works independently & collaboratively to meet individual & collective goals within specified timelines Suggested ICT  Database: record results of surveys- local businesses, local employment needs  Spreadsheets: prepare business budget  Multimedia: Powerpoint presentation, animated advertisement, 30 second video commercial to launch or market product or service  Graphics/desk top publishing: produce brochure or flyer for product or service  Electronic communication: access information on starting & running a business, employment opportunities, business case studies, design a web page to market a product or service  Word processing: use to prepare information for other applications Resources  ABS website www.abs.gov.au  Employment Related Skills Logbook  Business Enterprise Centres www.becsmallbiz.com.au/services.htm  Business Entry Point www.business.gov.au  NSW Dept of State & Reg Dev http://www.smallbiz.nsw.gov.au/interest/young  Telstra Business Starters www.telstra.com.au/business-starters/index.htm  'Making It Happen' Introduction to Enterprise Education Kit DEETYA  Computer-based Technologies in HSIE: Project Management pp75-80  Job guide  Vocational Learning in HSIE  'Changing Labour Market' Paul Baker Powerpoint presentation det website  DEWR Job Outlook www.workplace.gov.au  ACTU Worksite for Schoolshttp: http://www.worksite.actu.asn.au/  Destination 2020 http://www.tgmag.ca/byws/game.htm  Jobsearch website career quiz www.jobsearch.com.au  UAC (Universities Admission Centre Guidebook  Centrelink  Myfuture website

HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 3 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ Teacher Note: This combined unit begins with the workplace, changing work patterns and types of employment (Core Part 2.2 Employment Issues). Issues of unemployment lead to considerations of self-employment and the requirements of running a small business enterprise (Option 11 Running a Business). The unit concludes with aspects of employment issues relating to running a business, such as employment contracts, taxation and superannuation and employment relations. This third section can be completed concurrently with tasks in running a business enterprise or as a discreet task at the end of the unit.

Learn abouts and Teaching and learning activities learn tos Assessment: The activities require students to demonstrate their learning and are all assessment for learning activities. Some activities might be selected and included in a school assessment schedule for assessment of learning. 1. Work Employment Agency

The Workplace Task 1 Changing work patterns You work in an employment agency. You have been  investigate changing work patterns & asked to investigate the employment situation in your discuss impacts on individual & society suburb/town and write a report for your manager.  research & evaluate stereotypes of  Search the Positions Vacant in the local newspaper, employment patterns community noticeboards and the internet for 1 week.  propose strategies to address workplace  Draw up a table to list the jobs available based on issues and concerns occupation, gender, age, full time, part time or casual work. Benefits of education & training for  List the employer requirements for each of the jobs. employment  Go on to the ABS website. Compare job opportunities  identify the range of skills & benefits of from your survey to ABS statistics. employment programs  Write a report to your manager which outlines the job opportunities for men, women and young people in Types of employment your town/suburb. Include in your report whether jobs  casual, part time, full time, self-employed are full time, part time or casual hours. Make a special  voluntary & unpaid note of groups they you think may have difficulty in  identify the range of employment options finding a job. for young people  examine the advantages & disadvantages Task 2 associated with particular types of jobs for Form groups of 4-5 to be a team in the employment men & women agency. Each team has to develop a training manual to help clients seek employment. Refer to the Employment Unemployment Related Skills Logbook. . discuss implications of  Outline the general skills required in the workplace unemployment for individuals & society  Develop a proforma for writing a resume  Outline the do’s and don’ts of going for interview, including dress and presentation  Develop a program Coping with Unemployment to support clients as they look for a job  Prepare a talk/presentation on the services the employment agency offers, including a role play to demonstrate interview techniques.

Task 3 Each student in the class is an employees in the employment agency and needs to contribute to the preparation of charts for a display at the school Careers Expo. The following information should be included on a number of posters:  Possible school to work pathways that students can HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 4 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ follow.  Range of occupations showing description of jobs, personal requirements, changes over time, pay, working conditions, education and training requirements, skills required, career path  Posters to counter stereotypes of employment patterns  Community volunteer work - organizations seeking volunteers eg Meals in Wheels, what they do, what they need, employment related skills that are developed

Students are to complete a competency sheet for the School to Work Employment-Related Skills Logbook

2. Running a Business Enterprise Small Business Enterprise

Being an Entrepreneur Form groups of 6-10 students to plan and operate a Reasons for being self-employed hypothetical business. Students are to elect a CEO,  identify the advantages & disadvantages of secretary, marketing manager, finance manager, being self employed operations manager and assistants. All members should contribute to the planning and operation of the business Required skills and personal characteristics and cooperate to make decisions.  assess the required skills & personal characteristics for success as a business Task 4 owner needed Each member of the group is an investor in the business. To increase the chances of success, the group Operating a business needs to allocate tasks to develop and print a simple  set up and run a simulated or school-based business proposal which includes the following: business  an introduction which identifies the advantages and disadvantages of being in business, and outlines the Planning for success skills and personal characteristics of the owners Selecting business opportunities - market  a description of the good or service to be produced research, location, demographics,  the brand name and logo to be used competition, target markets  a description of the market research strategy which  identify the opportunities for small business determines the location, demographics, target market operations and competitors  examine the range of opportunities for  an outline of the possible legal structures and the setting up a small business reasons for using the one selected  evaluate the likely success of small  an outline of the local, state and federal laws and business opportunities regulations with which the business must comply  a budget which estimates the costs of production, Selecting the appropriate structure - sole selling price, source of funds trader, partnership, private company,  the steps taken to establish the business including incorporated association location, staffing, and setting up operations  describe the key features of each organisational structure In planning the business students should:  select an appropriate structure for  engage in team building exercises particular situations  access local Business Enterprise Centres  investigate websites such as Telstra Business Starters, Arranging finance Business Entry Point, It's Your Business, Smallbiz  investigate & evaluate the range of finance  investigate student case studies from ‘Making It options Happen’ CD-ROM  prepare a loan application or a simple  visit appropriate or related small businesses prospectus Task 5 Establishing a new or purchasing an existing In operating the business, students are to: business - location, staffing, new,  prepare printed advertising such as posters, established, franchising, equipping pamphlets, newspaper/magazine advertisements and  describe the main steps in establishing a business cards

HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 5 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ new or purchasing an existing business  make a 30 second video commercial  contribute a stand at a class trade show Business Operation  provide a group oral presentation to launch the product Meeting regulations - local, state, federal and introduce their business  identify the regulations impacting on a  prepare a written report of the business operations business operation including the financial records which need to be kept and plans for the future of the business Selling products  select appropriate marketing strategies for Students are to complete a competency sheet for the promoting a business School to Work Employment-Related Skills Logbook

Maintaining records - revenue statement, balance sheet, cash flow, taxation records  construct & analyse key business documents

Risk management - planning for the future  identify & develop strategies to minimise risk to avoid insolvency & bankruptcy

3. Employment This part of the unit can be completed as a discrete task Aspects of employment issues relating to or concurrently in developing the small business. The running a business Human Resources Manager is employing staff.  identify, evaluate & report on employment issues & processes related to a business Task 6 As the Human Resources Manager of the business you Types of Employment Contracts are responsible for recruiting staff. Prepare a report for  awards, enterprise agreements, individual the CEO on how you would recruit staff. workplace agreements, common law  determine the positions required for the business contracts  prepare 1 job advertisement including a job  use the internet to investigate the types of description, qualifications, remuneration employment contracts  outline the criteria for selection including questions to  discuss the advantages & disadvantages be asked at interview of each type of employment contract  explain the advantages and disadvantages of different types of employment contracts and suggest the best  rights & entitlements of casual, part-time & type of employment contract for the position full-time employment  research the employment conditions of Task 7 casual, part-time, full-time employees & As a team of 4 students, devise an induction program contractors and compile a handbook for new employees  draw a diagram to show the management structure Taxation  outline the legal rights and responsibilities of full time,  reasons for taxes, types of taxes part time and casual employees including working  describe the services funded by taxation conditions and types of leave  explain the relationship between taxation,  obtain an income tax declaration and complete it as an income & government-funded services example for employees  Identify the obligation of employers towards  processes of paying taxes employees in relation to superannuation  complete a basic tax return & tax  determine the superannuation to be paid by the declaration employer and employee  explain the protection provided by anti-discrimination Superannuation laws  identify the obligation of employers towards  identify the relevant trade union and outline their role employees in relation to superannuation in a possible dispute.  discuss the advantages & disadvantages  develop grievance procedures including a flow chart of superannuation as a saving/investment showing the steps in making a complaint option Task 8

HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 6 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/ Employment Relations You have been voted to the position of grievance officer Legal issues relating to the workplace - for the workplace. The following complaint has been occupational health & safety, anti- lodged with you. discrimination & unfair dismissal, redundancy  A young Lebanese female employee has been & retraining, privacy, outsourcing, piecework consistently praised for the past 3 years by her  research a current employment relations supervisor for her excellent work. Recently a young issue that affects different groups in society anglo Australian male who joined the firm in the past  identify ethical & unethical workplace 12 months was promoted to the position of team leader practices & investigate the impact of these over her. She now has to report to him on a daily basis. practices She has lodged a complaint to you the grievance  discuss the extent to which anti- officer. discrimination laws protect individuals in Your job is to investigate the case and write a report to the workplace the Human Resource Manager. Your investigations should include: Role of unions & employer groups  Protection of employees with anti-discrimination laws  identify the role of unions & employer  Evidence of ethical and unethical work practices groups  The role of the relevant union in resolving the dispute  assess the changing role of unions &  The dispute resolution method used employers groups  The outcome of negotiations Students are to complete a competency sheet for the Resolving disputes - grievance procedures, School to Work Employment-Related Skills Logbook negotiation, mediation, conciliation, arbitration  identify a range of dispute resolution methods  explain a possible dispute resolution process  propose strategies to address workplace issues & concerns

HSIE STAGE 4 & 5 April 2005 Page 7 of 7 NSW Department of Education and Training Curriculum Directorate http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/