Labour shortage could worsen: report

THE BARWON region must find an extra 18,300 workers by the end of 2025 to meet its employment demand according to a new workforce report.

Recently formed state agency the Victorian Skills Authority (VSA) has released its State of the Labour Market Report, which outlined predictions for workforce demand that will arrive in the next three years.

The report said that Barwon – which includes Greater Geelong, Surf Coast, Queenscliff and Colac Otway council areas – will have 10,600 new jobs to fill in three years’ time, and must also cover the loss of an estimated 7,700 workers to retirement in the intervening years.

The forecast demand increase represents a 10.3-per-cent jump on the current Barwon workforce, which is about 176,400 people.

The same report found that health (29,100 employees), retail (18,900) and education and training (16,900) are the region’s top-employing industries.

VSA found that net emigration, COVID isolation and an ageing population were the leading causes of workforce supply constraints.

The report indicated that Victoria had net departures of 56,000 people across the state in 2021, after it had averaged 88,000 net arrivals in the years leading up to the pandemic.

During a visit to Geelong last month, Premier Daniel Andrews said increasing migration to Victoria, especially from international arrivals, was among his top priorities to addressing labour shortages that he said were present across the country.

“There’s workforce challenges across every single sector, and they’re not unique to Victoria,” he said.

“We need to get them (visa applications) out of an in-tray and into the country, so that we can produce the things we need to produce and provide the things we need to provide.”

The VSA report was released alongside a Victorian Skills Plan, which the government delivered alongside TAFEs, universities and other educators to create a blueprint for course planning to meet industry needs.

Peak bodies from unions, business councils are meeting with federal government ministers at the Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra during the next two days (September 1 and 2).