Have you thought about putting on an apprentice or trainee in your business?
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Over half of NSW businesses are experiencing skill shortages, according to the NSW Business Chamber's 2019 Workforce Skills Survey, and Hunter businesses are among the most affected across the state, yet at the same time we have double-digit youth unemployment across the region.
What is the disconnect? According to the NSW Business Chamber's skills survey, it is a number of factors.
The survey found there was the equivalent of 82,000 job vacancies across the state due to skill shortages, with mining, agriculture, forestry and fishing, transport, postal and warehousing and manufacturing the key industries affected.
About 55 per cent of businesses surveyed in the Hunter region reported skills shortages, with the figure for the Hunter excluding Newcastle at 64 per cent - the second highest of all regions.
So, we have young people looking for jobs and employers who can't fill vacancies. How do we match the two up?
The Chamber has called for a number of measures to help address skill shortages in NSW. These include:
- A doubling of the number of school-based apprenticeships delivered in NSW each year;
- Industry-based careers advice for students and parents from year 9 in all schools across NSW;
- Increased utilisation of existing TAFE facilities and resources to boost training outcomes.
These measures will help to inform young people of their options, steer them towards vocational careers and ensure they are getting the skills that industry needs.
However, there is also an onus on employers who have capacity to invest in training young people to ensure their future needs are met.
Anecdotally, we at the Chamber often hear that businesses would like to put on more people, but can't find employees at the required skill level.
This is where planning and training comes into play. Businesses need to be aware not only of what their needs will be next week or next month, but in one year or five years' time. And they should be prepared to invest in training people to meet those needs.
Taking on an apprentice or trainee does require a commitment in time by an employer to make that employee job-ready, but there are many benefits down the track for those who invest in training and skills development.
Also, there are very attractive government incentives that can help an employer offset the costs and time involved in hiring and training a young or unskilled person. The Additional Identified Skills Shortage Payment, announced in this year's budget, is one such scheme.
Surprisingly, the skills survey showed many employees were not aware or making use of these incentive programs. If you like the idea of taking on an apprentice or trainee but are unsure about your obligations, the government-funded Australian Business Apprenticeships Centre can provide employers with good information training incentives and how to link up with young people looking for work in various industries.
