Roadmap Maps Pathway for Future Skills
Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) has today released the Greater Whitsunday Future Skills Roadmap which provides a summary of the skills and training required for the region in the future.
The Greater Whitsunday Future Skills Roadmap was a component of the Regional Jobs Committee project, funded by the Queensland Government’s Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT).
The roadmap includes recommendations under four key pillars to educate the region to ensure the Greater Whitsunday workforces remain adaptable, resilient, and employable in the future of work.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) CEO Ms Kylie Porter said the Mackay Regional Jobs Committee project culminated in the Greater Whitsunday Future Skills Roadmap and complements the extensive work GW3 has been undertaking in the priority area of future education, skills and training.
“The roadmap informs both government and industry around the skills requirements and opportunities associated with future jobs and employment and proposes a range of strategies to realise these opportunities.
“For the last twelve months, GW3 has been working closely with industry, education and training, and government representatives to identify exactly what education and skills are required to meet the future job market.”
Ms Porter said the findings taken from the roadmap highlighted foundational skills including digital and enterprise skills as critical to jobs of the future.
“Our region needs to be proactive in implementing strategies to ensure all workers, including those that are currently in employment are upskilled and supported in-region, to transition into new job tasks and roles as the nature of work changes,” she said.
Ms Porter said there were several sectors including Agriculture, Aquaculture, Health Care and Social Assistance and Construction, along with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that are expected to experience workforce growth.
“The region needs to do more to ensure training and education is available for these workforces in-region and innovative strategies are implemented to attract and retain people within these sectors.”
Ms Porter said our region will require strong leadership to ensure the region navigates the workforce landscape successfully.
Australian Prawn Farms General Manager Matt West said the Mackay Regional Jobs Committee gave him an opportunity to voice what skill sets were lacking within the Aquaculture industry and what potential skills sets could complement the industry’s future development.
“It allowed me to shine the light on the relatively unknown industry of Aquaculture in the region. I was able to highlight to Government and other industry leaders how an Aquaculture venture operates and most excitingly the advances in technology our farms have adopted.”
Mr West said giving industries a voice can assist Regional Training Organisations (RTO) and schools to develop students with unique skill sets aimed at local industries.
“It is my hope that from here, RTO's and schools focus on local and regional job opportunities and reach out to growing industries within our region to gain knowledge on how best to set course content relevant to job opportunities previously not considered.
“We want people to learn, work, and stay in the region and this work has helped outline what is needed to achieve that,” Mr West said.
Tafe Queensland’s Natalie Link said having an innovative and skilled workforce that is prepared for the jobs of tomorrow will set the MIW region apart.
“Having an innovative and skilled workforce that is prepared and on the front foot of industry requirements into the future, will set the region apart and attract consumer confidence from outside of the region to invest locally.
Ms Link said the industry groups also discussed the challenges they currently faced and there was a greater focus on the Fourth Industrial Revolution in particular automation and augmentation.
“Bringing key and emerging industry groups together, that are leaders in their respective industries provided great insight into where the industries are at now,” Ms Link said
To read the Greater Whitsunday Future Skills Roadmap in full click here.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance is the region’s peak, independent economic development body committed to making the Mackay, Isaac, Whitsunday region strong for generations.
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