Townsville Environmental Scan: Informing Region's Workforce Development Needs
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Townsville Environmental Scan Informing the region’s workforce development needs Acknowledgement of the Traditional Owners of Country Jobs Queensland, on behalf of the community, pays respect to Elders past, present and emerging. Jobs Queensland recognises that the land, water and seascapes of the North Queensland region form traditional landscapes that were managed for thousands of years by Traditional Owners to provide the resources required for life. Although these landscapes have changed and are now shared, Traditional Owners have an ongoing and unique connection to their ancestral lands and have responsibilities to the land under their traditional law and customs. Jobs Queensland also recognises Traditional Owners who have been granted native title over land and sea country and their active role in the ongoing management of cultural resources for the important role they play in the social, spiritual and economic future of these communities. Copyright This publication is protected by the Copyright Act 1968. Licence Unless otherwise indicated this work is licensed by Jobs Queensland under a Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) 4.0 licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://www.creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 You are free to copy, communicate and adapt this publication, as long as you attribute it as follows: © The State of Queensland, Jobs Queensland, February 2019. The Queensland Government is committed to providing accessible services to Queenslanders of all cultural and linguistic backgrounds. If you have difficulty understanding this publication and need a translator, please call the Translating and Interpreting Services (TIS National) on telephone 131 450 and ask them to contact Jobs Queensland on (07) 3294 4706. Disclaimer While every care has been taken in preparing this publication, the State of Queensland accepts no responsibility for decisions or actions taken as a result of any data, information, statement or advice, expressed or implied, contained within. To the best of our knowledge, the content was correct at the time of publishing. Copies of this publication are available on our website at jobsqueensland.qld.gov.au. To make an enquiry, contact Jobs Queensland: Email: [email protected] Telephone: (07) 3294 4706 Mailing address: PO Box 80, Ipswich, Queensland 4305 Head office: Level 6, Icon Building, 117 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, Queensland 4305 2 Jobs Queen sland Townsville Environmental Scan | February 2019 Contents Introduction................................................................................................................................. 4 Methodology .............................................................................................................................. 5 Regional profile ........................................................................................................................... 7 Education and Training ............................................................................................................. 23 Health Care and Social Assistance ............................................................................................ 34 Manufacturing .......................................................................................................................... 45 Mining and Resources ................................................................................................................ 55 Transport, Postal and Warehousing ........................................................................................... 77 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................ 86 Acronyms .................................................................................................................................. 89 Glossary..................................................................................................................................... 90 Informing the region’s workforce development needs 3 Introduction Signed on 9 December 2016, the Townsville City Deal is a 15-year commitment between the Commonwealth of Australia, the Queensland Government and the Townsville City Council to a collective program of planning, reform and investment for Townsville City. It outlines a series of commitments that all three tiers of government will work together, as well as a series of future opportunities for further collaboration, to deliver a transformational impact for Townsville. As part of the Queensland Government’s commitment to the Townsville City Deal, Jobs Queensland has been tasked with delivery of a Workforce Development Plan for the Townsville region, with the intent to build the local industry capability and workforce development opportunities. Jobs Queensland provides strategic advice on anticipated skill needs, future workforce planning, apprenticeships and traineeships, and Vocational Education and Training (VET) investment. We do this through research and market intelligence, engagement, partnerships and relationship management. Meetings with the Townsville City Council in August 2018 confirmed the Workforce Development Plan would be delivered in two phases. The first would be an Environmental Scan, delivered by December 2018; the second, the Workforce Development Plan, delivered by June 2019. This Environmental Scan is a formal and systematic exploration of the Townsville region’s environment to identify potential opportunities, challenges and likely relevant future developments that may impact the Townsville region. This future-focused analysis has been built on qualitative and quantitative research conducted from Jobs Queensland Anticipating Future Skills (AFS) modelling, using three future scenarios to depict plausible futures, when contrasted with a baseline or ‘business as usual’ scenario. The scenarios covering the period 2017 to 2022 includes: • Technological change: increasing labour productivity of all industries in Queensland so that the productivity of each is 0.25 per cent higher than the baseline each year between 2017-18 and 2021-22 • Changing workforce: increasing interstate migration with a decreasing proportion of working aged population (15-64 years) • External impact: halving the price of coal and iron ore. Developed in partnership with the Townsville City Council and the Commonwealth and State Governments, the research focused on Townsville City’s economic development vision to support traditional industries and skill base to transition to a future industries and skill base that will support regional growth and development. It does not purport to be the ‘one source of truth’ on the workforce and skills environment within the region, but rather is designed to complement existing activity in the region and provide a base of evidence to inform future workforce development activities. The intent is to stimulate thinking and provide direction on how the region might best capitalise on its existing and future strengths, capabilities and opportunities, which will in turn deliver maximum benefit to the local region. 4 Jobs Queen sland Townsville Environmental Scan | February 2019 Methodology The findings within this report are built on qualitative and quantitative research as outlined below. In March 2018 and again in August 2018, Jobs Queensland carried out broad analytic desktop research for the Townsville Local Government Area (LGA) and Statistical Area Level 4 (SA4). The research investigated the population demographics (estimated resident population; age structure; selected subpopulation categories; place of birth etc.), as well as projected population growth. A further analysis of the local education and training, labour market and industry profiles was also conducted. The purpose of this initial research and analysis was to inform the industry focus and subsequently the development of this environmental scan and future Workforce Development Plan for the Townsville region; a key deliverable for the Townsville City Deal. In developing this environmental scan, and to ensure Jobs Queensland delivered value to the city of Townsville, a series of engagement activities was undertaken to ensure we understood local challenges. We also identified any current workforce planning activities that were already underway to avoid duplication. These included: • August 2017: Jobs Queensland had initial consultations with Townsville City Council and the Department of Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning. • September 2017: A co-hosted breakfast and workshop with Townsville City Council and the Local Partnership Forum that discussed the path and priorities in the development of a Townsville Workforce Development Plan. • December 2017 to January 2018: Local engagement with the Chamber of Commerce, the Commonwealth Government and industry. • February 2018: Jobs Queensland partnered with the Chamber of Commerce and the Commonwealth Government in the delivery of a small business expo. This included a presentation from the Commonwealth Department of Jobs and Small Business on the latest trends in the Townsville labour market, the impact on local employers and how to maximise long-term benefits for the region. • April 2018: The Jobs Queensland Board hosted an industry breakfast with a focus on building stakeholder relationships and generating discussion as input into creation of a strong project scope. • September to November 2018: Ongoing consultation with regional stakeholders including Townsville