FORM

Attracting and retaining talent is a key issue for all businesses in today’s competitive market.  Comparative Capitals, research published by FORM in August 2008, examines how successful Australia’s major cities – Perth in particular – really are.

To launch Comparative Capitals, FORM in association with publication partner PricewaterhouseCoopers, hosted Analysis and Action, an invitation-only event featuring two of the world’s most respected thought leaders on innovation, Charles Leadbeater and Tom Bentley.

Assembled for the event were around 150 present and emerging decision-makers from business, government, education and the creative sector.

Charlie and Tom’s presentations centred on the use of innovation to solve some of the issues identified in Comparative Capitals: in particular the talent drain and the increasing need to make education a key priority.  Table discussions touched on the types of strategies companies, institutions and administrations might use to counter the current workforce churn, particularly among 25 – 34 year olds.  Other discussions focused on what type of new learning systems might be created in the state.  

Charlie is a leading authority on innovation and creativity. He has advised companies, cities and governments around the world on innovation strategy and drawn on that experience in writing his latest book We-think: the power of mass creativity.

Former director of UK think tank Demos, Tom is now Executive Director for Policy and Cabinet in Victoria’s Department of Premier and Director of the Australian and New Zealand School of Government. Author of a number of books on education and politics, Tom advises Julia Gillard on education.