BETTER CONNECTIONS

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BETTER CONNECTIONS BETTER OUTCOMES

• IMPROVING LABOUR MARKET EFFECTIVENESS
• North East NSW
• 29 August 2006

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Origins of the workshops

• DEWR undertakes a range of research and analysis
  of labour supply and skill shortages
• DEWR, with other Government agencies, is looking
  at how to address Australias labour supply and
  skill shortages
• Run a series of workshops to share information
  and ideas

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Objective of the workshops

• Improve Labour Market Effectiveness by
• addressing labour supply and skill shortage
  issues
• increasing labour market participation (target
  groups mature aged, single parents, people with
  a disability, Indigenous Australians, people from
  culturally and linguistically diverse
  backgrounds, youth)
• establishing and further developing linkages
  between relevant organisations

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Agenda

• Tea and Coffee on arrival
• Welcome and Introductions
• Better Connections presentation
• Identification and discussion of issues
• Morning tea break
• Developing an action plan
• Drawing it together
• Closing Remarks
• Lunch provided

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North East NSW Employment Service Area
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North East NSW Employment Service Area - Profile

• Working Age Population (15-64) 47,900
• Unemployment Rate 5.3 vs 5.2 for NSW
• Education
• 29.8 of the population completed post school
  qualifications compared with 36.3 for the state
• 10.6 of the population completed a degree or
  higher compared with 13.6 for the state
• Diversity
• 6.6 of the population were born overseas
  compared with 23.2 for the state
• 2.9 of the population were born overseas in a
  non-English main speaking country compared with
  16.1 for the state
• 3.7 of the population identified as Indigenous

Source ABS Population by Age and Gender, June
2004, DEWR Small Area Labour Markets March 2006,
2001 Census
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North East NSW Labour Market Demand

• Industry
• Employment by industry vs New South Wales and
  Australia
• Employment status by industry

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Workforce Tomorrow 2005-2010

• The impact of Workforce Ageing in Australia is
  the equivalent to a shortfall of 195,000 workers.
• Shortfall in Australia by industry
• Agriculture, Forestry Fishing 8,000
• Retail Trade 22,100
• Education 18,400
• Health and Community Services 8,000

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North East NSWSkills in Demand Survey

• 193 employers surveyed from 10 industries.
• Employers reported 431 vacancies over the last 12
  months
• 55 of recruiting employers had difficulty
  filling vacancies.
• 6 of vacancies were unfilled.
• Recruitment difficulties were most prominent in
  the Construction, Property and Business Services
  and Health and Community Service industries and
  among employers recruiting Tradespersons.

Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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Occupations difficult to fill

• Trades
• Structural Steel and Welding Tradespersons
• Cabinetmakers
• Shearers
• Metal Fitters and Machinists
• Cooks
• Meat Tradespersons
• Electricians
• Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Mechanics
• Labourers and Plant Operators
• General Labourers
• Crane, Hoist and Lift Operators

Managers, Professionals and Associate
Professionals Chefs Welfare Associate
Professionals Registered Nurses General
Managers Accountants Clerical, Sales and Service
Workers Bar Attendants Secretaries and Personal
Assistants Childrens Care Workers Receptionists S
ales Assistants
Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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Recruitment Expectations

• 36 of employers surveyed anticipate employment
  growth in their business in the next 12 months.
• 50 of businesses surveyed expect to recruit in
  the next 12 months.
• 41 of employers who anticipate the need to
  recruit in the next 12 months, expect to have
  difficulty recruiting.

Source DEWR, North East NSW Skills in Demand
Survey, June 2006
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North East NSWLabour Market Demand

• All vacancies lodged and filled (Job Network and
  Job Placement Organisations)
• New Apprenticeship vacancies lodged and filled
  (Job Network and Job Placement Organisations)
• New Apprenticeship commencements (DEST 2005/06)

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North East NSW Labour Market Supply

• Working Age Customer Populations
• Working age payment recipients
• Centrelink and Job Network populations

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Summary

• Declining unemployment in the region over the
  last 3 years.
• Nevertheless there is still a high proportion of
  the Working Age Population in receipt of a
  Centrelink allowance.
• High number of lower skilled job opportunities.
• A poor attitude to work was identified as the
  major reason for job seekers being unsuitable for
  lower skilled jobs.
• Current demand for lower skilled workers can be
  better addressed by increasing the participation
  of target groups.
• Employment outcomes can be improved by addressing
  issues relating to the attitude of applicants and
  also through increased access to work experience.

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Mature Age Employment and Workplace Strategy
(MAEWS)

• Northern NSW has been selected as one of the
  regions for MAEWS in 2006/2007.
• The Strategy aims to increase workforce
  participation by mature aged Australians.

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Mature Age Employment and Workplace Strategy
(MAEWS)

• There are three elements in the package
• Jobwise Outreach workshops and job seeker
  self-help groups
• Wise Workforce workshops
• Mature Age Industry Strategy
• Further details is available at the Jobwise
  website www.jobwise.gov.au

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Upcoming activities and those already established
and underway

• Expansion and refurbishment of Armidale Plaza
• Joint medical school at the University of New
  England
• Hillgrove Mine back in operation
• New police station at Armidale
• Upgrading Armidale-Koolkhan electricity
  transmission line
• Woolworths supermarket to be built in Glen Innes
• Expansion of Kos Tomatoes
• Glen Innes electricity substation to be rebuilt
• Upgrading of Walcha Hospital
• Development of East Boggabri coal mine
• Mining to start at Boggabri Coal Project

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Range of DEWR Programmes

• Job Network
• Employer Demand Demonstration Projects
• Employment Innovation Fund
• Job Placement
• Community Work Coordinators
• Voluntary Work Initiatives
• Green Corps
• New Enterprise Incentive Scheme
• Transition to Work
• National Harvest Labour Information Service

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Possible issues for consideration

• How to increase the participation of parents,
  people with a disability, mature age job seekers
  and Indigenous Australians?
• How can employment service providers make better
  linkages and increase the placement of job
  seekers into New Apprenticeships?
• How do providers better engage with industry and
  employers to take advantage of opportunities in
  the region?

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Developing a local action plan

• Focus on practical actions for each issue being
  addressed
• Identify stakeholders and linkages

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Evaluation strategy

• Workshop evaluation to be filled out today
• Follow up survey of participants to assess
  specific actions/strategies undertaken
• Longer term data analysis to assess measurable
  items and analysis of qualitative information
  relating directly to each workshop

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Finish

• Thank you