New project to map out south-west job opportunities

The New Work Mindset in Action project could revolutionise how people think about work and training as technology and an ageing population dramatically change employment opportunities in the region.

New Work Mindset in Action will map out job opportunities and skills demand in the south west and provide a digital tool to help current and future workers understand what their career pathway might look like.

South West TAFE (SWTAFE) and the Foundation for Young Australians (FYA) are joining industry partners Lyndoch Living, Western District Health Service (WDHS) and Eventide Homes, for the project.

The project draws on new analysis released, which reveals a new way of thinking about and preparing for work and a growing gap between the skills workers have and those employers are looking for.

“The analysis shows seven areas or clusters of work in the South West Victoria region, based on similar skills required and portable across jobs. The research found that when people are trained and work in one job, they acquire skills that will help them potentially secure 13 other jobs,” SWTAFE CEO, Mark Fidge said.

“By supporting people to understand what the job landscape of the future is, as well as how their skills can be used to transition between roles and stages of their career, we can better meet industry demands and ensure workers are set up to succeed. As an industry-led training system VET and TAFE are uniquely positioned to future proof the south west region and its workers for the changing economy.”

Though agriculture remains the biggest local employer, the cluster model will be most relevant to the healthcare and social assistance sector in south west Victoria, which has grown by 26% in the past decade. The number of jobs related to similar sectors, such as the provision of mental or physical care are also estimated to increase by around 29% by 2025.

“Technology has seen the types of tasks we do at work change, freeing up workers to spend more time interacting with people. For this reason, while technical or job specific skills are still important, skills like communication are increasingly in demand,” FYA’s Head of Research, Alex Snow said.

“In fact, communication is the most highly demanded enterprise skill across all areas of work in the region, appearing in 38% of job advertisements over the last three years. By building these skills workers can more easily adapt and move between jobs.”

The project is funded by the Victorian Department of Education and Training’s Workforce Training and Innovation Fund (WTIF) and will support the creation a community of workers who understand how their skills can be used to transition between roles and stages of their careers.

“This is a great opportunity to increase the long-term employability of current and future workers in South West Victoria and better meet the immediate needs of employers.”