Mind the gap!

Yellowfin is a critical component that is assisting the Victorian Office of Training and Tertiary Education (OTTE) to find out.

The Centre for Informatics and Applied Optimization (CIAO) along with JustSys and i4, are developing an online tool titled ‘TAFE Skills to Work’, which will compare a user’s self-determined skills against the requirements of the job they would like to pursue, and identify any gaps.

Most current job-matching sites confront the user with a barrage of questions up-front — in one fell swoop. This can be intimidating and may serve to rattle the confidence of the browser sufficiently that they will either respond with ‘false’ answers or just hit ‘alt/tab’ and return to their online gaming.

The TAFE Skills to Work project takes a unique approach. The user is gently guided through a sequence of questions which branch intelligently in a

maybe/maybe not sort of fashion.

The user is provided with tools to help them assess their own skill base as well as to determine their suitability to a particular job. As the user shows

interest in particular areas, the site ranks matching jobs more highly. If a user were to respond with a dislike of heights for example, then Pilot, Rigger and Acrobat would disappear from the screen. At each stage the user is provided with feedback to their answers (including job and training options) and subsequent questions are formulated on the basis of the previous response. This ‘decision support’ is what makes the approach unique.

Identifying the ‘skills gap’ is an important part of the project — in more ways than one. Individual users can assess their own skills and preferences

and compare them to the plethora of information regarding jobs and training.

Through Yellowfin analytics and reporting industry will be able to identify where there are skill shortages and, in turn, training providers will be able to determine (by postcode) where courses which might need to be developed and/or curriculums adjusted.

Following its launch, the TAFE Skills to Work project will be an invaluable reference for prospective learners seeking relevant information and

advice, and perhaps a way across the ‘gap’.

About Yellowfin and i4

i4 Pty Ltd’s Yellowfin Solution is the world leader in Information Collaboration that ensures 100% adoption by users. Yellowfin’s Enterprise Reporting Application Platform is the foundation on which Global organisations and packaged application software vendors develop intuitive, Web portal reporting and analytic applications that empower 100% of users with decision-making information.

Yellowfin delivers the next level of competitive advantage – Information Collaboration – achieved through the strategic application of BI on an enterprise scale. Our integrated solution helps customers drive performance through collaboration, dashboards; and understanding performance through business intelligence.

Founded in 2000, i4 has headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. For more information, visit Yellowfin at the company’s Web site at www.yellowfin.com.au