In partnership with Deloitte and Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited our Future Workforce and Skills Conversation discussed the current and future talent, skills and workforce needs of Adelaide, South Australia.

This conversation aligned with our key pillar ‘Thriving Community’ which focuses on creating a welcoming, inclusive, and diverse community, that prioritises wellbeing and attracts and retains the talent and skills required for current and future workforce needs.

Thank you to John Chapman OAM, Acting Skills Commissioner providing the keynote address and Hendri Mentz, Managing Partner, Deloitte for moderating our panel which included Shaun Westcott, CEO, Mitsubishi Motors Australia Limited, Matt Opie, Chief Executive, Defence SA, and Claire Scapinello, Chief Executive Officer, ECH.

Thank you to also to our wine partner Hentley Farm.

Here are the key takeaways from the event:

• South Australia’s demand for skilled workers spans all industries across the economy.
• We are in a global race for talent, with workforce challenges being felt across the world, not just in South Australia.
• The State Government and the SA Skills Commission is actively working to try and ensure our education and training system is fit for purpose and responsive to industry needs.
• Industry has a role to play to plan and invest in their future workforce requirement, including supporting Government with accurate and real-time data regarding workforce requirements for upcoming projects. This will ensure quality workforce planning, training, and qualification modelling to develop and respond to the state’s workforce demands.
• The panel conversation highlighted a number of ideas, observations, and initiatives currently in place to support current and future talent in South Australia. This included:

• • The need to ‘glamourise’ vocational education and trades to ensure we have the appropriate mix of skilled workers for current and emerging growth sectors including construction, defence, education, health, aged care, IT, manufacturing, the green economy, hospitality, and resources.
  • South Australia has an ageing population, with the number of people aged over 75 set to increase from 166,000 to 256,000 by 2040 – jobs in health and aged care will be in constant demand.
  • In order to attract and retain talent, employers need to have a good workforce strategy in place, including offering clear growth pathways, on-the-job training especially in digital technologies, and transition opportunities across the organisation.
  • Incentives for staff to complete training to skill up are effective and help build skills and a positive workplace culture.
  • SMEs should explore opportunities to work together, allow cross-pollination of workers and collaborate on projects together.
  • There is an ongoing need to recruit employees based on their skills and remove unconscious biases from the recruitment process. Ensuring diversity in HR / recruitment teams is key.
  • AI and digital technologies present enormous opportunities for businesses to boost productivity, improve service-quality and divert much-needed skills to other value-add areas; rather than taking jobs, AI can provide opportunities to make workplaces more effective, safer and alleviate some skill shortages by automating routine tasks and augmenting human capabilities.