Attracting and Retaining a Skilled Workforce

THE DEPARTMENT OF TRAINING AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Attracting and retaining a skilled workforce

April 2010

w: dtwd.wa.gov.au

Attracting and Retaining a Skilled Workforce

Attracting and Retaining a Skilled Workforce

1 Introduction This briefing paper is one in a series of five such papers that will form the basis for consultation as part of the development of the Western Australian Workforce Development Plan due for release in June 2010. Other papers in the series are:     Western Australia’s Changing Workforce Challenges to Workforce Participation Training, Skills Formation and Productivity Workforce Development Planning and Coordination

The purpose of the briefing papers is to identify the issues impacting on the supply and demand of labour in Western Australia and to stimulate a discussion of these issues. The papers are further intended to generate thought on the policies, strategies and actions required to address the issues. The focus of this paper is on the issues which impact on the attraction and retention of workers in Western Australia.

2 Background The Western Australian economy is entering a new period of sustained economic expansion fuelled by the growth of the State’s resources sector. This growth makes Western Australia a leading contributor to the national economy, with 38 per cent of Australian merchandise exports originating in Western Australia and 64 per cent of all mining industry investment invested in Western Australia in 2009. Much of this is due to the State’s major projects. According to Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE), Western Australia is the home to $93 billion worth of advanced major projects – representing 82 per cent of all advanced projects in Australia. This level of investment and resource development is expected to place increasing pressure on the State’s labour market as workers are required. While the major resource and infrastructure projects are providing the...