Key Points
- Queensland will encourage businesses to employ more women, people with disabilities and migrants.
- The Northern Territory also wants to increase migrant numbers and affordable housing to fill worker shortages.
The Queensland government will spend $20 million to encourage businesses to employ more women and people with disabilities as part of its plan to fill vacant jobs.
Another $14 million will be invested to help migrants, refugees and international students find employment, as part of the state government's 10-year workforce strategy released on Tuesday.
The number of jobs in Queensland will grow by about 280,000 between 2020 and 2025 according to government figures, but the number of people reaching retirement age will rise by almost a third.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk wants to plug the gaps with minority groups, who are under-represented in the state's workforce, and people living in the regions.
She will share her strategy at Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's Jobs and Skills Summit in Canberra later this week.
"Our economy now has more jobs than workers to fill them," Ms Palaszczuk told parliament on Tuesday.
"We estimate, that over the next three years, Queensland will need an additional 280,000 workers to keep up with the growth in our economy.
"That is the equivalent of the populations of Cairns and Mackay combined."
Workforce advisors will be appointed to encourage employers to diversify their workforces by fostering flexible work arrangements, particularly women and people with disabilities.
A $5.6 million service will be established to help migrants, refugees and international students find work, with $5.45 million allocated to expand it to Townsville, Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast.
Another $3 million will spent to establish a Skilled Workforce Attraction Office to help migrants and refugees settle in Queensland.
That agency will also work out ways to attract more interstate and international workers to the state, while a Multicultural Affairs Settlement Team will advocate for migrants and refugee workers.
The government also plans to help connect First Nations people with training programs for sustainable jobs and ensure the public sector is a model employer for under-represented groups.
Meanwhile, the government has promised to develop regional plans to expand school-based school-based apprenticeships and traineeships with special managers appointed in each area to oversee those plans.
More subsidies will be provided to apprentices and trainees to offset their travel and accommodation costs when attending training offsite.
Northern Territory pushes for more migrants, affordable housing and HECS debt relief
The Northern Territory government will push for an increase in migrant numbers and funding for affordable housing for workers, at the national jobs and skills summit.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles also wants HECS-HELP debts reduced for graduates prepared to work in remote areas and incentives to employ Indigenous workers.
"We have listened to Territory businesses and the message is clear: business is good and the economy is growing but we need more workers," she told reporters in Darwin on Tuesday.
"That's why it's really important I'm at this jobs summit so we don't just come away with measures that suit the east coast. They have to suit regional and remote Australia as well."
Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Source: AAP / AARON BUNCH
"There are key areas that the NT needs workers here and now as well as into the future so I'll certainly be making sure that regional and remote Australia and their views are at National Cabinet and the jobs summit," she said.
Ms Fyles said the tourism and hospitality and agribusiness sectors were desperate for workers.
"We need fruit pickers immediately. We've already seen some schemes in isolation, for example, the Pacific workers heading into central Australia," she said.
"So there are some opportunities for bespoke arrangements in the NT and I'll certainly be pushing that with the Commonwealth."
