The report takes a look back over the past thirty years, describing a profound alteration in our labour market system. A thorough historical review and present day analysis underline a significant change in the thinking and practices that define how work is organized and managed. Zizys’ research indicates that the current system is not serving anyone: • Job seekers cannot find work in their chosen fields, are forced to compete against over-qualified candidates or are limited to short-term, insecure roles; • Employees are stuck in dead-end jobs with little pay, no loyalty, no job security, no room for advancement and an unclear career path forward; • Employers aren’t getting the people they need, aren’t keeping the ones they’ve got and have low levels of productivity. What motivated Zizys to undertake the research was a disconnect he saw between what workers and employers were experiencing. “Employers are saying that there’s a skills shortage and yet we have one of the most highly educated workforces in the world,” he says. This “skills mismatch” is just one aspect of what he refers to as the “dysfunction” in the system. Also notable is the over-emphasis in our employment services on the deficiencies of the individual job-seeker, when the more pressing issues are navigating a fragmented labour market and maintaining a career path in a world of precarious work.