Guest Speaker Sandy Roberts:- “Workforce Development Plan for Central Goldfields Shire”

Sandy commenced with the Shire only weeks ago, and has commenced the task of detailing some of the emerging directions of labour and businesses in the district, our needs in skills training, and what links can be put in place between business, industry, and service.
She posted some fairly frightening stats- (we are old and getting older; we are very casually employed; we work outside the town, and many of the professionals commute into the town; aged care and the health services are very big locally (and growing).
Sandy also celebrated the fact that we have 4 supermarkets (lots of competition and incoming visitors); the importance of the 250 workers at TruFoods in reducing unemployment; and the size and quality of the Health Care sector here.
I was surprised at the continuing importance of the manufacturing sector locally (we often feel a bit lonely!), but not at the dearth of professionals (total 88!) employed in the shire.
The long list of skill shortage occupations was also interesting, encompassing most of the traditional trades (No wonder Gary cannot get an Aussie baker!).
Some issues mentioned included: no technical training locally; gearing schools training towards university (which naturally takes young people out of the area); lack of work ethic (sometimes generationally); and lack of a “fix it” ethic.
Sandy will hold a Business Forum on Thurs Mar 24^th2013 to gain some input from business into her mix.