A regional workforce forum has established two key priorities to strengthen collaboration, connect existing resources and better support employers and job seekers across the Whitsundays.
The Whitsundays Workforce Exchange brought together local employers, educators, training and employment providers, government representatives and regional stakeholders to discuss the workforce challenges facing the region.
The discussion covered current and emerging workforce needs, existing programs and support available to businesses and job seekers, and opportunities to improve connections between industry, education and training.
Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) also shared insights and priorities from its recent Greater Whitsunday Workforce Development Mastermind, helping inform the conversation about the region’s workforce needs over the next five years.
Two priorities emerged from the Exchange:
- Whitsunday Workforce Service and Resource Map to bring together information on existing workforce programs, services and support, making it easier for employers, job seekers and families to understand what is available and how to access it.
- A Whitsunday Recruitment, Training and Skills Working Group to bring interested employers, training and employment providers and regional stakeholders together to share workforce insights, identify gaps, explore collaborative projects and funding opportunities, and help shape future initiatives, including a Whitsunday Jobs Fair and Careers Expo.
Whitsundays Chamber of Commerce and Industry Executive Officer Dr Julia Evans said the Exchange had provided a valuable opportunity to move beyond discussing workforce challenges and identify where the region could work together.
“There’s already a lot of good work happening across the region. The opportunity now is to better connect those efforts, make existing resources easier to access, and ensure we’re responding to what local employers and job seekers actually need,” Julia said.
“These two priorities give us a practical starting point. We want to keep the conversation moving, bring the right people together, and turn shared understanding into action.”
The Chamber will continue working with interested organisations to progress the priorities identified at the Exchange.
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