While today’s ABS data showing a strengthening of the labour market is good news for job seekers, acute skills shortages persist for many industries including mining.
Skills shortages are a handbrake on the economy and need to be urgently addressed.
The upcoming federal budget provides an opportunity to turbo-charge skills investment by supporting fast-tracked apprenticeships for key occupations and to continue the Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements program.
Further, the government should expand the work of the National Careers Institute on new interactive career pathways maps to include mining.
Administrative efficiency and effectiveness is also key to attracting talent into Australian businesses and additional resources should be provided to the Department of Home Affairs to improve the skilled migration program by reducing duplication and being more responsive to skills shortages.
The mining industry has created almost 22,000 jobs in the last 12 months, delivered on our COVID-19 recovery commitment to create 5,000 apprenticeships. The industry has also invested more than $65 million in skills programs since 2000.
It’s time to go for growth and ensure the Australian economy continues its strong COVID-19 economic recovery.
