AN ESTIMATED 1000 jobs are currently vacant across the south-west, with blue and white collar skills shortages hamstringing some businesses and economic growth.
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Warrnambool City Council economic growth director Andrew Paton said while most of the vacancies were for blue collar workers, there is also desperate need for young professionals to take up opportunities.
Mr Paton said the estimated number of vacancies has been formulated after talks with employers from across the region.
“There are the traditional skills shortages around agriculture such as dairy hands, diesel mechanics, meat and livestock workers and there are also shortages in professional occupations,” Mr Paton said. “We need graduate accountants, financial planners, and the demand for health specialists is ongoing.”
It comes as the Regional Australia Institute launched a policy document on Tuesday calling on the Federal Government to support more locally-led migration initiatives and to facilitate settlement in rural areas.
Last year Warrnambool’s population grew by 310 people, of which 288 were overseas migrants.
“I think there’s a good link here between international migration numbers already driving population growth in our region and how it will continue to be a key driver of future workforce growth to align with skills gaps,” Mr Paton said.
“If we can align our existing skill gaps with the skills of migrants, that will be a big part of solving not just our population, but our workforce issue.”
Midfield Meats representative Dean McKenna told Fairfax Media’s Stock & Land on May 18 the Warrnambool processor was only operating one shift due to a labour shortage, and that “farmers are paying for those inefficiencies".
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