BETTER CONNECTIONS

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BETTER CONNECTIONS BETTER OUTCOMES

• IMPROVING LABOUR MARKET EFFECTIVENESS
• Blue Mountains NSW
• Employment Service Area
• 3 October 2007

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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, parents, people with a
  disability, Indigenous Australians, long-term
  unemployed, people from culturally and
  linguistically diverse backgrounds, youth)
• establishing and further developing linkages
  between relevant organisations

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Agenda

• Welcome and Introductions
• Better Connections presentation
• Identification and discussion of issues
• Morning tea break
• Developing an action plan
• Drawing it together
• Closing Remarks

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Blue Mountains Employment Service Area
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Blue Mountains Demographic Profile

• Working Age Population (15-64) 20 300
• Higher proportion of working age population aged
  between 45 and 64 compared with Australia
• Unemployment rate 4.1
• Higher proportion receiving Centrelink allowance
  compared with the State
• Higher proportion of population with post school
  qualifications
• Smaller proportion of the population born overseas

Source DEWR, Small Area Labour Markets, March
2007, ABS 2001 Census of Population and Housing.
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Blue Mountains Employment Profile
Source ABS 2001 Census of Population and Housing
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Blue Mountains Survey of EmployersRecruitment
Experiences

• 274 employers surveyed
• 62 of respondents were from small businesses,
  employing between 2 and 4 staff
• 38 of surveyed employers had recruited
• 5 of vacancies were not filled
• 12 of employers had one or more unfilled
  vacancies in their business
• 45 reported that recruitment was difficult

Source DEWR, Blue Mountains Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences, May 2007
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Blue Mountains Success filling recent vacancies
Source DEWR, Blue Mountains Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences, May 2007
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Blue Mountains Competition for recent vacancies
Source DEWR, Blue Mountains Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences, May 2007
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Blue Mountains Reasons applicants were
unsuitable
Source DEWR, Blue Mountains Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences, May 2007
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Blue Mountains Difficult to fill occupations

• Higher skilled occupations
• Carpentry and Joinery Tradesperson
• Chefs and Food Tradespersons (e.g. Cooks and
  Bakers)
• Nurses Registered and Enrolled
• Engineering Professionals
• Computing Professionals
• Secondary School Teachers
• Structural Steel and Welding Tradespersons
• Plumbers
• Medium and lower skilled occupations
• Sales Assistants
• Receptionists
• Waiters
• Bar Attendants
• General Clerks
• Elementary Food Preparation Workers

Source DEWR, Blue Mountains Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences, May 2007
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Blue Mountains Recruitment Expectations

• 27 of employers expect to recruit in the next 12
  months
• 55 anticipate a need to increase staff numbers
• 55 anticipate a need to recruit to staff
  turnover
• 43 anticipate future recruitment will be
  difficult
• 64 would consider providing a job seeker with
  development opportunities

Source DEWR, Blue Mountains Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences, May 2007
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Blue Mountains JNM and JPO Activity

• 1632 vacancies lodged with JNMs and JPOs in the
  12 months to June 2007
• 63 of these vacancies were filled, which is
  higher than the national average
• Overall, 15 apprenticeship or traineeship
  placements by JNM or JPOs, more than half were in
  trades
• DEST apprenticeship commencements totalled 198,
  mainly in less traditional industries

Source DEWR Administrative Data, 12 months to
June 2007, DEST Apprenticeship Data, 12 months to
June 2007
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Blue Mountains JNM and JPO Activity
Source DEWR Administrative Data, 12 months to
June 2007
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Blue Mountains Centrelink and Job Network
Customer Populations
Source Centrelink and DEWR Administrative Data,
June 2007
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Blue Mountains Summary

• Unemployment rate 4.1
• High proportion of Working Age Population in
  receipt of Centrelink payments.
• 5 of vacancies were not filled in the past year
• Difficulties were high in the Health and
  Community Services industry
• High average number of applicants, but majority
  were considered unsuitable
• Greater work experience or training opportunities
  may help to address this issue

Source DEWR, Small Area Labour Markets, March
2007
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Local area activities impacting on employment

• Aldi Supermarket, Katoomba
• Edge Cinema, Katoomba
• Retail/residential development, Leura
• Residential development, Katoomba
• Cultural and retail centre, Katoomba
• Katoomba Golf Course development
• Great Western Highway upgrading
• TAFE facilities upgrading, Katoomba

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Possible issues for consideration

• How to increase the participation of parents,
  people with a disability, mature age and the
  long-term unemployed job seekers?
• How can employment service providers make better
  linkages and increase the placement of job
  seekers into Australian 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
• More information
• www.workplace.gov.au/bcw
• www.workplace.gov.au/lmip
• www.workplace.gov.au/skillsindemand