A number of conference themes relating to four broad areas, will be covered at the 2010 Working Communities congress:

The governance of employment and skills development:

How can employment services take a more strategic approach to employment, skills and exclusion issues?

Can strategic partnerships be built in the current system?

Linking with other stakeholders in productive ways.

Can a local intelligence base be established to inform policy delivery?

Skills for competitiveness and green jobs:

What is the scope for working with employers to upgrade the demand for labour and skills, thereby increasing simultaneously productivity and skills levels locally?

How can employment services play a significant role to help localities and regions move from a low-skills low-productivity equilibrium to a high-skills high-productivity equilibrium?

How can localities best invest in green jobs as a mechanism for sustainable economic growth?

How can the public and private sectors best work together to increase opportunities for career progression for the low-skilled, through e.g. creating clusters and career ladders?

What will be the new skills needs created by the green economy? How can local communities best meet these needs while maximising the opportunities for job creation and career progression?

Enhancing employment outcomes for indigenous people and communities:

What is the role that employment services can play to help improve the long-term employment outcomes of indigenous people and communities throughout the world?

How can employment services and vocational training be combined to maximise policy results?

What is the role of forward-looking strategies designed locally and how can employers best contribute?

Innovations for social and economic inclusion:

Case studies from around the world

Examples of innovation in service delivery

Innovative strategies and models for helping those who face barriers to employment, such as people with a mental illness or disability, the homeless, indigenous people, ex-offenders and youths

Fair trade and fair trade alliances

Technological innovations and the role of new technologies

The Global Financial Crisis as a catalyst for innovation

Green job innovations and 'green collar' workforce development

Cutting-edge programs to combat social exclusion