Spotlight on regional Australia ahead of Jobs and Skills Summit

Dept of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications

Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain is making sure the skills shortage affecting regional Australia is a key focus of the Australian Government’s upcoming Jobs and Skills Summit.

Minister McBain is meeting with representatives from the Regional Development Australia (RDA) network and peak bodies from the local government sector throughout this week to talk through the challenges regional industries are facing in attracting and retaining skilled workers.

Key issues and themes from these roundtables will inform discussions at the Albanese Government’s Jobs and Skills Summit, to be held at Parliament House in Canberra on 1-2 September.

Skills shortages, housing supply, and how to retain and attract diverse and talented workers to regional areas are just some of the topics being explored across the online roundtables.

Minister McBain has also met with this year’s Rural Youth Ambassadors and spoke about barriers and opportunities in ensuring young people have the skills required to fill important roles in our regional communities both now and into the future.

The Jobs and Skills Summit will bring together Australians, including unions, employers, civil society and governments, to address our shared economic challenges.

The Summit will inform the Employment White Paper, which will help shape the future of Australia’s labour market. The wider community will be able to make submissions over the next 12 months.

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