Skilled Workforce Shortage in Australia
Businesses have been feeling the strain of skill shortages for months resulted to ongoing skill shortages continue to create difficulties for employers. Of the 20 occupations in demand nationally, more than half require vocational qualifications and significant training times. Electricians, motor mechanics, metal fitters and machinists, engineering, chefs continue to feature prominently.
The government would need to make a concerted effort to put the right number of people into in-demand jobs, including the IT industry. This requires sustained effort to build the pipeline of trade and other vocational skills over the next decade. A range of ICT occupations has also featured in the Australian priority job list, some for the first time, including software application programmers, ICT business and systems and ICT security specialists and business analysts. It is clearly an imperative to develop significantly more qualified ICT workers who will be necessary for the Australia’s digital future.
New Ai Group Australian CEO Survey shows businesses are investing to tackle staffing shortages head-on in 2023. Staff shortages are getting worse as:
90% of businesses expect to be affected by staffing shortages in 2023
36% report that skills shortages will inhibit their business growth
26% say that total labour shortages – both skilled and non-skilled – would inhibit growth
Staffing shortages were one of the three top challenges – the others being inflation and supply chain disruptions – identified by business leaders for 2023. This advocate that vocational education graduates are in high demand in the nation.
