Theodore Roosevelt left us the most eloquent phrasing of that well-worn truism: “far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.” Work gives us cause for complaint from time to time, but without spending our days working in exchange for financial reward, we become poorer in more ways than one.
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Right now, the Illawarra labour force has what is characterised as full employment, with unemployment at 4.4 percent. There are few parts of the state that can boast such a high level of employment.
This is cause for particular celebration in our region, where just over five years ago parts of the Illawarra - particularly Shellharbour, Kiama and the Shoalhaven - struggled with unemployment levels that were three times the national average, in the wake of a drastic realignment of our economy away from steel production and heavy manufacturing around 2011.
The Illawarra has fought a well-documented battle with youth unemployment, with Nowra, Mittagong and Ulladulla recently featuring as ‘hot spots’ in the Brotherhood of St Lawrence’s ‘Unfair Australia’ report, where nearly 30 percent of under 24-year-olds struggled to find work. Recent ABS Labour Force data has the Illawarra at 11.3 percent youth unemployment, which only rises to 12.3 percent in the Shoalhaven/Southern Highlands.
For that we have to thank, at least in part, the concerted efforts of government, employers, non-profits and industry groups, for working together in implementing a range of strategies. Strategies like Illawarra YES - a NSW Government-funded program championed by Parliamentary Secretary Gareth Ward, which the Illawarra Business Chamber is proud to deliver - are making significant inroads by taking a pragmatic approach to connecting young job seekers with businesses.
Illawarra YES has placed 80 young people into jobs in the construction, hospitality, logistics and aged care sectors. Illawarra YES is actually a person; coordinator Stuart McKechnie, who develops traineeship programs with employers like Allan Bramble of K&S Freighters in Port Kembla. Allan’s is a common problem facing employers across the Illawarra: workforce shortages caused by an ageing workforce and growing demand. Stuart and Allan developed a drivers’ program, which recently saw its first nine successful participants complete their Certificate II in Driving Operations, before moving into employment with the company, and toward obtaining their Truck Licence.
Right now, the civil construction boom is driving the Illawarra economy forward and creating new jobs. The state government’s leasing of the poles and wires, as well as the ports, is driving huge investment in much-needed road infrastructure in our region, like the Albion Park Rail Bypass and the Berry to Bomaderry Princes Highway upgrade.
The boom won’t last forever, which is why this week’s opening of the Bomaderry Jobs Hub by Roads Minister Melinda Pavey is an important effort to future-proof our economy by leaving a legacy of skills behind, long after the roads open. This silver lining has a cloud attached to it, however, and that same construction boom combines with our ageing population to create a perfect storm of workforce shortages in key sectors of our economy. Alongside the laudable efforts to regenerate our workforce by supporting young people, we are right to be making efforts to grow our total working-age population. West Dapto, Shellharbour and Nowra-Bomaderry will see 37,600 additional lots developed over the next 30 to 40 years.
... the dignity of work should not be beyond the reach of anyone in our community.
At the Illawarra Business Chamber, we are interested to understand how migrant and refugee settlement might further grow the Illawarra workforce, and will hold an open forum in December to hear from decision-makers like Professor Peter Shergold and those on the front line in that field.
Refugee settlement is a win-win, in providing a new opportunity and a new life to people who have suffered under oppressive regimes and an opportunity for the Illawarra to gain new cultural insights and new skill sets to support our economy. Of course, the best way to grow a workforce is to increase transport networks, so it can be attracted from further afield. Our efforts as a business chamber are well documented, but suffice to say our future lies in our connections to South-western Sydney.
Finally, the dignity of work should not be beyond the reach of anyone in our community. We are seeing the power of economic inclusion as the NDIS is slowly achieving its objective of supporting people with disabilities to participate in the workforce in any manner of their choosing. Likewise, we look forward to a day where we can more adequately support people affected by a range of mental illnesses into employment that will enrich and satisfy them.
Adam Zarth is the Executive Director of the Illawarra Business Chamber