May 1, 2023
From December 2022 to March 2023 the RITC conducted detailed analysis of 40 occupations at a 6-digit ANZSCO (Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations) code level and provided Industry Sector Reports to DTWD for incorporation into the report.
The RITC input also highlights the challenges faced by the Western Australian resources sector in 2022 and into 2023, including a persistent tight labour market with widespread acute skills shortages.
The unprecedented high job vacancy rates and depressed migration rates have exacerbated long-standing skill shortages in several critical areas for the resources sector placing new stressors in the local labour market such as housing affordability and availability (particularly in regional and remote areas).
High levels of demand across the sector continues to be driven by both construction and high levels of project activity as well as sustaining operations and ongoing maintenance and shutdown work across existing projects. Competition within the local market for labour has resulted in increased turnover and wage pressures.
The Resources Industry Sector Report produced by RITC investigated:
- Factors affecting current and future supply and demand of labour for the resources sector in WA.
- Training strategies that industry has used or may consider using to meet the skills and workforce needs.
- Regionally specific issues/ opportunities; and
- Emerging issues/opportunities.
Findings of the Report included:
- Chronic shortages in key white-collar occupations across engineering roles (particularly mining engineers and civil engineers), earth sciences, metallurgists, underground surveyors, maintenance planners.
- Chronic and persistent shortages of Trades – Automotive and Engineering Trades Workers, Construction Trades Workers, and Electrotechnology and Telecommunications Trades Workers.
- Persistent shortages of other occupations such as riggers, scaffolders, crane operators, concreters, and steel fixers as well as shortages in occupations associated with freight and logistics, drillers, driller offsiders, shot firers and belt splicers. Many of these occupations are assigned a Skills Level 4 and can only access migration pathways through Labor Agreements and not via Skilled Migration.
The Report covers specific training pipeline issues including new to industry, pre-apprenticeships, apprenticeships, and VET (Vocational Education and Training) to higher education pathways as well as addressing current workforce issues such as attraction and retention issues, turnover, remuneration, aging workforce, and retiring workforce.
The Report also makes training recommendations such as increased funding for existing workers to upskill, support for adult apprenticeship initiatives, increased requirement for hybrid and dual trades, support for the TAFE Digitalisation Road Map, and building greater career awareness of in need and critical occupations.
To read the report, select here: RITC Industry Report WA Resources Sector WAJET 2023
Should you have any feedback, comments or would like to meet with the RITC to discuss the report, please contact us