BETTER CONNECTIONS

1
BETTER CONNECTIONS BETTER OUTCOMES

• IMPROVING LABOUR MARKET EFFECTIVENESS
• North Metro Perth
• Employment Service Area
• 1 November 2007

2
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

3
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

4
Agenda

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

5
North Metro Perth Employment Service Area
6
North Metro Perth Demographic Profile

• Working Age Population (15-64) 316 300
• Unemployment rate 3.3
• Higher level of participation than for the State
  and Australia
• Lower proportion of population receiving
  Centrelink allowance compared with the State
• Higher proportion of the population have
  completed Year 12 or equivalent
• Higher proportion of population born overseas

Source ABS Labour Force Estimates, July 2007
Centrelink Admin data, September 2007 2006 Census
7
Humanitarian visa holders

• North Metro Perth Humanitarian arrivals (all
  ages) 3600
• (02/0306/07)
• Persons arriving on a Humanitarian visa are
  typically younger than the wider population
• Unemployment rate is significantly higher among
  Humanitarian visa holders, while participation is
  considerably lower than for the overall
  population
• Around 1800 HE Centrelink recipients (of working
  age) in North Metro Perth
• Less than one third of HE job seekers are active
  on Job Network caseload

Source ABS Labour Force Status and Other
Characteristics of Migrants Survey, November
2004 DIAC Administrative data, Financial years
2002/03 2006/07, Centrelink Administrative
data, March and September 2007.
8
North Metro Perth Industry Profile

• Major employing industries Retail Trade
  Property and Business Services Construction and
  Health and Community Services.

Source ABS Labour Force Estimates, Four quarter
averages to August 2001 and 2007
9
North Metro Perth Survey of Employers
Recruitment Experiences

• 238 employers, concentrated in seven key
  industries.
• 80 per cent of employers surveyed had recruited
  or attempted to recruit in the past 12 months.
• 11 per cent of vacancies in the last 12 months
  were not filled.
• 26 per cent of recent vacancies were not filled
  and 11 per cent were filled with job seekers who
  required development.

Source DEWR, North Metro Perth Survey of
Employers Recruitment Experiences, July 2007
10
North Metro Perth Difficult to fill occupations

• Higher skilled occupations
• Registered and Enrolled Nurses
• Metal Fitters and Machinists
• Structural Steel and Welding Tradespersons
• Motor Mechanics
• Electricians
• Carpenters and Cabinetmakers
• Medium and lower skilled occupations
• Receptionists
• Sales Representatives and Sales Assistants
• Child Care Workers and Special Care Workers
• Truck Drivers and Storepersons
• Cleaners and Kitchenhands

Source DEWR, North Metro Perth Survey of
Employers Recruitment Experiences, July 2007
11
North Metro Perth Competition for vacancies
Source DEWR, North Metro Perth Survey of
Employers Recruitment Experiences, July 2007
12
North Metro Perth Competition for vacancies
Source DEWR, North Metro Perth Survey of
Employers Recruitment Experiences, July 2007
13
North Metro Perth Recruitment Expectations

• 67 per cent of employers expect to recruit in the
  next 12 months.
• 47 per cent of employers who expect to recruit
  anticipate employment growth over the next 12
  months.
• 77 per cent of employers who expect to recruit
  anticipate replacing staff in the next 12 months.
• 72 per cent of employers who expect to recruit
  anticipate difficulty.

Source DEWR, North Metro Perth Survey of
Employers Recruitment Experiences, July 2007
14
North Metro Perth Apprenticeship Recruitment
Expectations

• Increase in proportion of employers willing to
  take on an apprentice or trainee.
• Increased diversity in occupations considered
  applicable for apprentices or trainees.
• Persistent barriers to apprenticeships largely
  due to lack of awareness/applicability.

Source DEWR, North Metro Perth Survey of
Employers Recruitment Experiences, July 2007
15
North Metro Perth Apprenticeship Activity
(JNM/JPO)
Source DEWR Administrative Data, 12 months to
July 2007
16
North Metro Perth JNM and JPO Activity
Source DEWR Administrative Data, 12 months to
July 2007
17
Opportunities for HE job seekers

• The opportunities in the area also extend to
  Humanitarian Entrant job seekers.
• Employers who have had experience recruiting HE
  job seekers are satisfied with their performance.
• Job Network HE placements also indicate that
  there are opportunities in a broad range of
  industries and occupations
• Child Care and Aged Care
• Manufacturing
• Construction and
• Security.

Source Survey of Employers perceptions of
Humanitarian job seekers, April 2007 and DEWR
Admin data, July 2007.
18
Identified barriers to labour force engagement of
HE job seekers

• 3 major barriers to long term labour force
  engagement identified
• Knowledge and awareness of job search
  requirements and expectations
• Language, literacy levels and work culture
  barriers
• Turnover/ short term engagement with an employer

Source Survey of Employers perceptions of
Humanitarian job seekers, April 2007
19
Summary

• Low unemployment, high participation and strong
  growth in the area.
• Recruitment difficulties are prevalent across the
  region.
• Increasing willingness to provide apprenticeship
  and traineeships to address need for skilled
  staff.
• This need creates opportunities for HE job
  seekers, if barriers can be overcome.

20
Strategies to overcome barriers

• Several strategies identified to address barriers
• Tailored assistance based on job seeker needs
• Managing job seeker expectations
• redirection of career path to suit recognised
  skills
• Building linkages with new employers in the area
  and increasing awareness of assistance available.
• Employers becoming advocates for HE workers
• Support networks to facilitate the successful
  transition into work and long-term engagement
• Better understanding Service Delivery

21
Local area activities impacting on employment

• Development of City of Stirling regional centre
• Building and construction approvals remain strong
  in the North Metro region
• Federal funding for National Community Crime
  Prevention Programme Reel Connections in
  Mirrabooka

22
Possible issues for consideration

• Inform and engage employers to address turnover
  and short-term employment
• Educating employment consultants about employment
  issues faced by humanitarian entrants, such as
  language and cultural barriers
• Knowledge and awareness of job search
  requirements and expectations

23
Developing a local action plan

• Focus on practical actions for each issue being
  addressed
• Identify stakeholders and linkages

24
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

25
Finish

• Thank you
• More information
• www.workplace.gov.au/bcw
• www.workplace.gov.au/regionalreports
• www.workplace.gov.au/lmip