A special forum held in Ballarat today gave those who work with young people a snapshot of the local labour market as the next step to helping young people get the skills they need to take up local jobs.
Member for Ballarat Catherine King said the Transitions and Pathways Forum, supported by the Australian Government, aimed to raise awareness of the opportunities in growth industries and the skills young people would need to get employment in those industries.
“Today the forum heard from labour market expert Ivan Neville that over recent years jobs growth in our area has been in the health, construction and accommodation and food services industries in particular, with some of the strongest growth for aged and disability carers, child carers, nurses, plumbers, carpenters and kitchen hands,” Ms King said.
“More importantly the forum heard that over the next five years our region is likely to see continued strong jobs growth in health related industries, together with the accommodation and food services industry, but that declines in the agriculture and the transport and warehousing sectors are predicted.”
The forum also heard that two thirds of employers in the region said that job applicants were found to be unsuitable due to a lack of technical skills or work experience and one third said that job applicants lacked employability skills and the required personal characteristics.
Ms King said the information local youth services providers got from the forum will help them plan how they work with young people to meet their needs.
“The Australian Government is doing its bit and working with industry and employment and education providers to ensure young people in our region have the skills they and our local businesses will need for a successful future,” Ms King said.
Ms King said the Australian Government has a proud record of helping Australians gain skills for the future.
“We have invested a record $65 billion in our schools and we stand ready to invest more in school education through the National Plan for School Improvement,” Ms King said.
“And through the Australian Government’s $3.03 billion Building Australia’s Future Workforce package we’re helping Australians to develop their skills, train and get into the workforce so that every Australian who is able to can enjoy the economic benefits and the dignity that comes with work.”
The Australian Government links jobseekers with employers through Job Services Australia, offering personalised help and services targeted to the job seeker’s needs including access to training opportunities and work experience.
The Forum was supported with funding of $3,300 from the Australian Government’s Local Employment Coordinator Flexible Funding Pool.