Mr Zarth said the 2019 Workforce Skills Survey released by the NSW Business Chamber during National Skills Week revealed a workforce shortage has widened significantly in NSW, with job vacancies growing from 54,000 in 2017 to 82,000 in 2019.

Half of all Illawarra businesses surveyed said the skills shortages were in trade skills and 72 per cent of businesses were experiencing increased workloads for existing staff.

Mr Zarth said it highlighted the need for a greater emphasis on training the next generation in order to sustain the region's economic growth.

"This widening workforce and skills gap will hamper our economy unless action is taken to address the mismatch between the skills young people are obtaining and the skills businesses require," he said.

"A key area of under-performance is in school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, where Queensland is delivering almost four times as many as NSW.

"Locally, only 8.6 per cent of Illawarra businesses reported employing a school-based apprentice or trainee, so we are calling for these to be doubled across the state each year.

"48 per cent of Illawarra businesses said that the education system was not adequately equipping young people to enter the workforce, so we are also calling for industry-based career advice for students and parents starting in year nine for all schools in NSW".

How Carol Goodger is enjoying a career seachange at Warrigal which will has up to 250 positions to try and fill within 12 months

When Carol Goodger was 54 she nursed a sick friend and in the process discovered she had the aptitude for work in the aged care field.

The fishing equipment wholesale and manufacturing business owner decided to train with Warrigal's innovative nine week long "Get Set to Go Program" and secured a new job in aged care almost a year ago.

Within 10 months she was named 2019 NSW Trainee of the Year at the Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) Awards for NSW and the ACT.

When the Illawarra Business Chamber highlighted a the skills shortage in the Illawarra on Tuesday Mrs Goodger was a perfect person to spotlight on how career changes may be part of the solution.

"I had a friend who was terminally ill. She didn't really have anyone to support her and help look after her. I found it very rewarding. When I found out about the Get Set To Go Program. I went to the seminar and was one of the 20 lucky participants chosen. It has been fantastic. I had my own business but I wanted a job change. And I wanted to do something for others. And found there are some wonderful, lovely people who just need helping and need care. This is totally different to what I was doing before. And it is so rewarding. I love helping people out," she said.

"People my age who have so many life experiences they can share should consider bringing them to such a wonderful facility like the one I work at for Warrigal. I feel honoured I was given such an opportunity. And I would recommend it for anybody of any age. Warrigal is very supportive".

Mrs Goodger was recognised by ACSA for her dedication and commitment to her role as a care services employee at Warrigal's Mt Warrigal home. The industry and her employer were both impressed with the way she hit the ground running and her enthusiasm, dedication and compassion. She will now represent NSW at the national awards in Melbourne in October.

Warrigal chief executive Mark Sewell and head of people and culture Penie Batman said the Get Set To Go program offered Mrs Goodger a chance to study her Certificate III and place that knowledge into practice with ongoing mentorship and training.

They said she has not only displayed high quality, customer focused care she devoted herself to the happiness of residents.

Mr Sewell said Warrigal has taken the traditional aged care model of employment and turned it on its head, by creating pathways for people by giving them the necessary skills and experience as well as the opportunity of ongoing employment with the senior living provider.

"Carol is a great example of how even in your late career we can all make a difference in this industry. Carol is simply 'a natural' and one who may never have found her purpose, until our innovative 'Get Set to Go' program gave her a pathway".

Ms Batman said Warrigal presently looks for around 150 people of all ages to fill positions every year. And with acquisitions and expansion that number is growing.

In fact one new facility coming on line at Queanbeyan later this year will require 100 staff. Which means Warrigal is looking to fill 250 positions within the next 12 months.

Jobs are hard to fill because there is a shortage of skills across the aged care sector for a number of different reasons.

Ms Batman said Warrigal is looking at different ways it can overcome that.

"Getting enough care staff is a challenge. There are a whole range of aged care positions. We also have home care which can be anything from social interaction to cleaning and gardening. We also have lifestyle coordinators, physios and people working in IT and marketing".

Ms Batman said addressing skills shortages at the school level is also important.

Many in the sector believe positive work can be done to encourage young people to consider working in the aged care and disability field where there are many jobs.

There are a number of pathways to get the skills required.

Warrigal's Get Set To Go is one pathway. And is about to do another intake of 10 people in fully funded training places. It is open to people of all ages.

"You can put in an expression of interest any time of the year at Warrigal on our website," she said.

Warrigal gives people in the community interested in working locally an opportunity to find out more with information days in the region. One conducted recently for the Illawarra, Southern Highlands and Shoalhaven had more than 140 people attend and resulted in 29 positions being filled.

Warrigal is also planning to reach out more into schools and at expos and has appointed a new talent coordinator to work in that area.

Ms Batman said in aged care there is a career path. People with no qualifications can get them at the TAFE level and then go all the way through to nursing if they wish.

The large number of jobs available can be seen on Warrigal's Facebook page where local vacancies in the Illawarra are posted every week.

The Disability Trust's head of people, learning and culture Rebecca Coombes said from a disability sector perspective the skills shortage issue is well publicised.

"NDIS say in the next five years we need another 70,000 workers. Disability support workers for us are in demand. We struggle to attract appropriately qualified, skilled and experienced workers because of the competition within the market now".

To combat the sector wide problem The Disability Trust is working on values based recruitment and providing opportunities for people of all ages. It has also been partnering with the Illawarra Business Chamber and helping deliver the Illawarra YES program to help prepare people for work.

Learning and development coordinator Rebecca Byers manages traineeship programs internally and also heads a project for creating and developing the organisation's own talent. "I have worked with a lot of traineeships. I have come into The Disability Trust and we are getting people with those values, skilling them up via traineeships and giving them the skills they need with technical knowledge".

Ms Byers said the Illawarra YES Entering the Workforce Program has been extended. Additional funding from the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business has allowed a Launch Into Work program to commence. "It focuses non accredited training as well. By incorporating that into this new program means we are offering seven traineeships".

They are people who have been trained to the point where they can support Disability Trust clients in-house.

The traineeships will allow them to further develop their skiils.

She said they have had good success collaborating with Regtional Training Organisations (RTOs) and local partners to develop trainees

Disability Trust chief operating officer Edward Birt said the market is very hot for good talented, skilled people.

"That is why we have taken the that values based approach," he said

Ms Coombes said The Disability Trust was finding it particularly hard filling positions further down the coast.

But in the Hunter where they are expanding.and opening up 13 new homes there are far more skilled people seeking positions.

Ms Coombes said there was not the same available skilled talent on the South Coast.

Mr Birt said a good thing about securing work in the disability sector is that if pays well.

Read more: