A business breakfast in Shepparton has provided an opportunity to look into a crystal ball and see the future of the Goulburn Valley’s labour force over the next three years.
In this case, the crystal ball was the Victorian Skills Authority’s employment workforce summary for 2023 to 2026.
The breakfast was hosted by the Committee for Greater Shepparton and NorVicFoods and discussed the links between industry and education.
Victorian Skills Authority senior skills adviser Kate Storer said the Goulburn region, which takes in the Mitchell, Murrundindi, Strathbogie, Greater Shepparton and Moira local government areas, is predicted to see a period of employment growth, at least through to 2026.
The summary predicts 7608 jobs will be added in the Goulburn region over that period, or an additional 10.2 per cent, with aged and disabled carers (333) and registered nurses (153) listed as the top growing occupations.
And when combined with the neighbouring Ovens and Murray region, the wider north-east Victoria block will need a significant proportion of the state’s additional workforce.
“If we look at Goulburn and Ovens and Murray combined, the north-east or Hume region will require 19.4 per cent of the state’s new workers by 2026. That’s 14,600 new workers in just over two years,” Ms Storer said.
Ms Storer said the manufacturing industry generated one-third of the gross value add across the Goulburn region and employed 11 per cent of the region’s workforce.
The healthcare and community services industry was the second-largest employer in the region but is predicted to grow the greatest in the years ahead.
“Employment in this industry is expected to grow at the fastest rate in the Goulburn region, outpacing the visitor economy, education and training and cleaning industries,” Ms Storer said.
The workforce summary also suggested that almost all jobs would require some level of further education or training.
“Our forecast data in the region tells us that the jobs that need to be filled require at least 40 per cent of people to have university qualifications and 50 per cent will require a VET (vocational education and training) qualification,” Ms Storer said.
“There will be very few unskilled, entry-level positions making up to 7600 jobs.”
Ms Storer said to attract employees in a competitive recruitment environment, employers should upskill their workers, take advantage of school-based apprenticeships, seek out people looking to change careers, work part-time or who were living with a disability, and make adjustments for people from diverse backgrounds.
“If a workforce culture is wonderful, and the training, mentoring and support is offered, then an extra dollar off next door or down the road is less likely to be attractive,” she said.
Federal Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell addressed the breakfast on his experience as a Churchill Fellow and his tour to Europe to investigate how other regions bridged the gap between students emerging from secondary school and their local businesses.
“We’ve got businesses saying, ‘How are we going to find the next generation of people to move in and run our businesses and drive our economy into the future?’ and, meanwhile, in the secondary school system, as has been identified by Lighthouse and other organisations, there are kids sort of wandering around without any ambition,” Mr Birrell said.
“So (I asked), is anyone doing this better than us? And that became my project.”
Mr Birrell visited England, Germany, Sweden and Finland, where he met with representatives from major companies, education authorities and students or apprentices.
He outlined several approaches, including placing a high value on apprenticeships and the system being flexible enough to adjust as skills demanded shifts.
“There is a whole industry called anticipation,” Mr Birrell said.
“It seems such an advanced discipline and has been going on in Finland for so long. They have really good collaboration between education, industry and government.
“It’s very sophisticated data and the education system then goes in (and) the levers get pulled to try and have all in balance into the future.”