Dr Tom Short

Based at the Centre for Research in Education, Equity and Work (CREEW), I am assigned to the CRC Rail for Innovation research program and work on special projects in the Australian rail industry - particulary in the area of workforce development. Prior to joining UniSA, I directed the Performance Improvement Centre in New Zealand, an Auckland-based training and consulting business, specialising in the professional development of workplace educators, trainers, tutors and teachers of adults. My professional background includes a progression of experiences in the UK manufacturing sector, commercial and general management roles, human resource management, teaching in adult/higher education settings, management consulting and finally post doctoral research.

• Adult education, tutor training and workplace learning
• Human resource strategy and organisational development
• Leadership, human resource and management/development
• Design, assessment and evaluation of training

Chartered Fellow, Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, UK (since 1994)

Member, Chartered Management Institute, UK (since 1990)

PhD Education (University of South Australia)

MA in Human Resource Management (University of Huddersfield, UK)

Diploma in Management (Business and Technical Education Council, UK)

• Alignment of human resource management with strategy, human resource development practices, workplace learning and employee engagement.
• Evaluation of leadership and management development - how workplace education and training builds capability and competence.
• The concept of place as it applies to humanistic geography, organisational development and the role of human resource practitioners as 'place makers'

‘The challenge of leadership: getting people on-track to deal with change’, Paper to AusRAIL 2009 Conference, Adelaide, 18-19 November 2009.

‘Exploring the vacuum in training evaluation:is this a case of mission impossible?’ Development and Learning in Organisations, 23(5) 2009, pp.15-18

‘Learning to survive: policy, practice, performance and place’, Paper to the 2009 Future of Learning Conference, Ashridge Business School, UK, 19-21 August (with Coggan, S.)

‘The shape and place of HRD in a globalised and turbulent workplace’, Paper to the 10th International Conference on Human Resource Development Research and Practice across Europe, Newcastle upon Tyne, 10-12 June 2009.

‘Scoping rail specific leadership and management development’, Brisbane: Australian CRC for Rail Innovation research report P4.102, February 2009, www.railcrc.net.au

'Strategic alignment and learning in human resource development: a hermeneutic exploration', PhD Thesis (2008) University of South Australia

'Aligning human resource development with business strategy'. Paper to 11th AVETRA Conference, Adelaide, 3-4 April 2008, http://www.avetra.org.au/annual_conference/papers.shtml

'What makes a good trainer and facilitator', in The Trainers Portable Mentor, Gargiulo, T.L., Pangarker, A.J. and Kirkwood, T. (eds.), San Francisco, Pfeiffer, 2008, pp.489-502

'Evaluating and aligning workplace training with strategy: a potential paradox for human resource practitioners'. Paper to the 11th World Congress for Total Quality Management, Wellington, NZ, 4-6 December 2006. Published on CD-ROM pp.1-11

'Aligning and evaluating professional development with organisation strategy: a paradox for human resource practitioners', in proceedings of the Continuing Professional Education Conference, Auckland, 19-20 April 2006. Published by The University of Auckland, ISBN 1-877370-14-2, pp.174-182

'Aligning workplace learning with business strategy creates sustainable success: a fanciful dream of HRD professionals or absolute reality'. Paper to 2nd International Conference on Integration for Excellence, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK, 28-20 June 2006. Published on CD-ROM, ISBN 1-84387-1807 pp.1-11

Research report. 'What is the moral imperative of workplace learning: Unlocking the DaVinci code of human resource development?' Australian Journal of Adult Learning. Volume 46, Number 2, July 2006

'Aligning VET and HRD: strategies for real success', Paper to the New Zealand Association for Research in Education, University of Otago, Dunedin, NZ, 6-9 December 2005. Published on CD-ROM, ISSN 1176-4902 pp.1-11

'Reflections on strategic human resources: papal guidance for a changing HR world', in Human Resources, HRINZ, Vol 10, Issue 3, August 2005, pp.14-15

'Providers:rigour or results', in People and Performance, NZATD, Vol 13, Issue 2, pp.16-18

'Providing training impact still a mystery to some', in People and Performance, NZATD, Vol 12, Issue 6, pp.5-6

'Exploring HRD strategy: is alignment the key to success?', in People and Performance, NZATD, Vol 13, Issue 1, pp.15-17