Jobs and Skills for Regional SA - Eyre and Western

Consultation has concluded

About

This engagement is now closed.

The Department for Industry and Skills (formerly the Department of State Development) is investing $1.5 million in new skills, training and employment initiatives to be implemented in 2017-18. Click here to read more.


About

The Department of State Development needs your help to better understand and respond to industry demand and individual need for jobs and skills in regional South Australia.

What is being decided?

The Skills and Employment Division of the Department of State Development is undertaking a comprehensive engagement approach to better understand and respond effectively and appropriately to industry demand

About

This engagement is now closed.

The Department for Industry and Skills (formerly the Department of State Development) is investing $1.5 million in new skills, training and employment initiatives to be implemented in 2017-18. Click here to read more.


About

The Department of State Development needs your help to better understand and respond to industry demand and individual need for jobs and skills in regional South Australia.

What is being decided?

The Skills and Employment Division of the Department of State Development is undertaking a comprehensive engagement approach to better understand and respond effectively and appropriately to industry demand and individual needs in relation to skills, training and employment in non-metropolitan South Australia.

We will collaborate with a broad range of local stakeholders and communities to develop tailored responses for skills, training and employment challenges and opportunities.

We want people in regions to have access to training, skill development and employment opportunities tailored to their needs. Equally, we want businesses to be able to recruit people who are work ready, with the skills needed for the jobs of today and tomorrow. We want to provide tailored initiatives which meet demand and deliver improved outcomes for individuals, employers and communities.

How can your input influence the decision?

Involving local people and experts in understanding challenges and opportunities, as well as developing tailored responses in each region, will enable the community and stakeholders to own and drive solutions.

This regional engagement project provides the opportunity for new voices and new perspectives to be heard by collaborating with a broad range of local stakeholders.

We will:

  • build on local knowledge to understand industry demand and individual need in relation to skills, training and employment in each non-metropolitan region.
  • consult, involve and collaborate with a broad range of local stakeholders and communities to develop tailored responses to address skills, training and employment challenges and take advantage of new opportunities.
  • develop a Skills and Workforce Development Plan for each region, with short, medium and long term goals and strategies.

Key milestones

The engagement process for Jobs and Skills in Regional SA will include:

  • initial engagement to identify need and demand: June – August 2017
  • the development of tailored responses with stakeholders: September – October 2017
  • co-delivery of actions and implementation of responses: from early 2018

To find out more about the engagement process, please download the fact sheet (PDF 350KB)

Get involved

If you live or work in the Eyre and Western region, we want to know more about the local challenges and opportunities in relation to skills, training and employment.

To provide your feedback on a different region in SA, click through below:

You can provide your ideas, suggestions and feedback by:

Join our mailing list so we can keep you informed of progress with Jobs and Skills for Regional SA and engagement opportunities in your local area.

How will your input be used?

By helping us to better understand the needs of the different kinds of job seekers and businesses in regional SA you can assist us to design and implement appropriate and effective responses to meet those needs and achieve better outcomes.

This project will focus on skills, training and employment as the priority, but there will be a process (using the Joined Up Policy Guide PDF 3MB) to ensure additional issues that impact on skills and jobs are actively pursued with other areas of Government.

A report summarising community and stakeholder input to the Jobs and Skills for Regional SA project will be published in December 2017.

Each non-metropolitan region will prepare a Skills and Workforce Development Plan in collaboration with stakeholders to identify short, medium and long-term goals and strategies. Your feedback will directly influence the development of these plans.

These plans will drive the implementation of strategies for skills, training and employment initiatives in regional South Australia from January 2018.

To be kept informed, please join our mailing list so we can provide you with updates on the Jobs and Skills for Regional SA project throughout 2017.



Background

Regional Overview

The Eyre and Western Region comprises 11 local councils and has a population of more than 58,000. Spanning over 232,000 square kilometres, this region is one of the largest and the most complex. The Eyre and Western region has over 2,000 kilometres of coastline and a substantial amount of land that is sparsely populated, including several national and conservation parks, and Aboriginal owned land. The three main towns in this region, Whyalla, Ceduna and Port Lincoln, are significantly different from one another.

Consistent with many remote regions, research indicates that young people between the ages of 15 and 24 comprise the smallest population age cohort. In the Eyre and Western Region, the rates of those who have completed certificates is much higher than the State’s average (47.1 percent compared with 34 percent). However, there are issues with gaining certificate–level accreditation, including in some cases obligatory travel (and associated cost) to attend training in Adelaide.

Anecdotal reports from across the region suggest that the local economies of scale make it difficult to fund training despite the presence of providers, employers and individuals to co-invest in training.

To find out more, please download the Literature Review – Eyre and Western Region (PDF 260)

Regions In Focus: Eyre and Western

(Source: http://www.pir.sa.gov.au/regions)


Eyre and Western (State Government Region)

The Department of State Development is implementing two strategic directions to respond to the challenges of economic change by:

  • Better understanding the demand and need in relation to skills, training and employment in regional SA.
  • Tailoring skills and employment investment to respond to local demand and need.

Population overview

The population of the Eyre and Western region (59,000) represents around 3.5 per cent of South Australia's population. The rate of population growth is less than one half that of the State average.

Compared to South Australia, the Eyre and Western region has higher shares of people aged 0 to 14 years, and 45 to 64 years; and lower shares of people aged 15 to 44 years, and of people aged 65 and older.

In the December quarter 2016 there were 1,829 unemployed people in the Eyre and Western region, with an estimated unemployment rate of 6.6 per cent; just below the State unemployment rate of 6.8 per cent.

Residents of the Eyre and Western region have lower levels of school achievement compared to South Australia as a whole. In the Eyre and Western region, 40.1 per cent of the population aged 15 to 64 years have completed year 12 (or equivalent), compared to 54.2 per cent in South Australia.

Whyalla

The State Government has welcomed the signing of a binding agreement to sell the Arrium companies, including the Whyalla operations, to London based GFG Alliance (Liberty House).

The sale is still subject to approval by the Arrium Committee of Creditors and the Foreign Investment Review Board, however the process is anticipated to be complete by August this year.

The State Government’s steel procurement policy and Steel Taskforce work together to Support Our Steel.

To read more about the campaign go to http://supportoursteel.com.

To know more about support for Whyalla go to http://supportoursteel.com/support-for-whyalla.

The South Australian Government has previously announced a grant of $50 million for a capital upgrade of the steelworks, in addition to other support measures for the Whyalla community.

The 2017-18 State Budget also includes $1.4 million to deliver community infrastructure upgrades to Whyalla, including the redevelopment of Whyalla Jetty.

Upper Spencer Gulf

The Upper Spencer Gulf and Outback region has faced challenges with the recent tightening of the mining and energy sectors. The South Australian government was quick to respond to the region’s need for support at a critical time.

South Australian government initial assistance to the region included:

An $8 million economic assistance package for the Upper Spencer Gulf and Outback region, which comprises:

  • $2 million from the Regional Jobs Accelerator fund,
  • $5 million prioritised under the RDF with Regional Development Fund round 3 in 2016-17, and
  • $1 million to support job creation and economic initiatives in the Upper Spencer Gulf.

Additional assistance includes:

  • $10 million Whyalla Small Business Loans Scheme, to provide interest-free loans to small businesses whose invoices had been frozen due to Arrium entering into administration;
  • $50 million State Government commitment to support the new owner of the Whyalla steelworks, London-based GFC Alliance; and
  • $101,050 to Regional Development Australia Far North to support 100 young people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who were employed in the Alinta supply chain.

The Commonwealth government announced $20 million funding to support the Upper Spencer Gulf, from its $220 million Regional Jobs & Investment Package. The Local Investment Plan for the Upper Spencer Gulf (PDF 350KB) provides a framework for projects including local infrastructure, business innovation and skills and training.

Further reading

To find out more about the engagement process planned for the Jobs and Skills for Regional SA project, please download the Skills and Employment Division Engagement Plan (PDF 350KB).




Consultation has concluded

  • What you said



    For stakeholders who would like to facilitate a conversation with a third party (clients, program participants, job seekers, etc) on behalf of DSD, please download this Record of Discussion Template (DOC 230KB) to record your conversation and email the completed form to DSD.EngageRegions@sa.gov.au.


    Alternatively, please encourage people in your network to complete one of the online surveys below, or download a printable version to complete as a paper survey.



  • Key References


    Traineeships and Apprenticeships

    As part of the Skills for Future Jobs 2020 Series, the Training and Skills Commission has commenced a review of traineeships and apprenticeships in South Australia. The impact of changes to our economy on the nature of traineeships and apprenticeships in regions is an area that the Commission will be considering as part of this policy work.

    As part of the Skills for Future Jobs 2020 Series, in 2018 the Training and Skills Commission will be delivering its second report on South Australia’s Industry Priority Qualifications (IPQ). It is anticipated that this iteration of the IPQ report will attract a higher number of regional responses and therefore provide a more comprehensive view of industry priority qualifications in specific regions.

    The Commission encourages individuals and organisations to register and participate in an ongoing conversation on these important policy topics. Register your interest at 2020.tasc.sa.gov.au

    Further reading

    Productivity Commission Initial Report – Transitioning Regional Economies

    The Federal Government has requested the Productivity Commission undertake a study into the geographic impacts of the transition of the Australian economy following the resources investment boom.

    The purpose of this study is to examine the regional geography of Australia's economic transition, to identify those regions and localities that face significant challenges in successfully transitioning to a more sustainable economic base and the factors, which will influence their capacity to adapt to changes in economic circumstances.

    The Productivity Commission Initial Report states:

    • There is no ‘one size fits all’ approach that will promote successful adaptation in all regions.
    • Strategies for successful adaptation and development are those that focus on supporting people in regional communities to adjust to changing economic circumstances.
    • Strategies work best when they are:
      • identified and led by the local community, in partnership with all levels of government
      • aligned with the region’s relative strengths
      • supported by targeted investment in developing the capability of the people in the local community to deal with transition, adaptation, and securing an economic future
      • designed with clear objectives and measurable performance indicators and subject to rigorous evaluation.

    View the interim report in full: pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/transitioning-regions/initial

    OECD Conceptual Framework - Understanding Skills for Competitiveness

    The OECD has observed that to be successful in today's knowledge economy, communities need to boost not only the skills of local people but also the utilisation and deployment of these skills by employers. By making sure that skills are utilised effectively, local economies can become more competitive and host better quality and better paid jobs. It is at the local level that collaborative approaches can be taken to not only boost skills levels but also attract and retain talent; better integrate people into the labour market and better match skills supply and demand.

    The OECD Conceptual Framework will be used as a guide for the Jobs and Skills for Regional SA project to better understand the relationship between skills demand and skills supply at a regional level. This framework shows regional areas categorised as one of four types:

    • A low skills equilibrium – a situation of low supply of and low demand for skills
    • Skills gaps and shortages – a situation of low supply and high demand for skills
    • A skills surplus – a situation of high supply and low demand for skills
    • A high skills equilibrium – a situation of high supply and high demand for skills

    Applied to any given region, each type represents an ‘average’ condition, which might conceal much more varied conditions in different industries or in regional centres. In developing policy and program responses we will develop a more detailed and nuanced understanding of local labour market conditions and dynamics, through the comprehensive engagement process.

    Download Skills for Competitiveness, Country Report for the United Kingdom (PDF)

    Download Engaging Employers in Skills Development for the 21st Century - Sylvain Giguère

  • Updates

    $1.5 million for skills and jobs projects in the state’s regions

    The Department for Industry and Skills (formerly the Department of State Development) is investing $1.5 million in new skills, training and employment initiatives to be implemented in 2017-18.

    The funding is the initial response to comprehensive engagement with regional stakeholders in 2017 to better understand the demand and need for jobs and skills in the seven non-metropolitan regions – the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island; Barossa, Light and Lower North; Eyre and Western; Far North; Limestone Coast; Yorke and Mid North; and Murraylands and Riverland.

    New projects will provide training, skills development and employment opportunities to enable people, businesses and communities to reach their full potential and thrive.

    READ MORE.