2013 International Symposium on Performance Science

Abstract

The attraction and retention of highly skilled labour is one of the most challenging issues of our times, so much so that labour shortages in many Western nations have fuelled a ‘war for talent’ that increasingly targets retention over initial recruitment. One of the difficulties of retention is that younger workers are increasingly mobile and demonstrate what appears to be a lack of employer loyalty. Not surprisingly, this has prompted calls for a much better understanding of the attraction and retention drivers of young people. Recognising that the inclusion of outlier cases has the potential to reveal perspectives not found in more putative cases, this largely theoretical paper contributes insights from research with dancers-in-training. The findings suggest marked differences in the quality of career preview developed by industry-based students and those in higher education. They also suggest that the passion and focus of students may not be an impediment to developing broad views of work and career. The implications for educators centre on the need to encourage students to consider possible roles throughout the whole career lifecycle.