Regional jobs forum discusses Covid exit

A NEW regional jobs committee have had their first meeting to discuss the challenges and opportunities faced after a difficult 12-18 months due to Covid.

The committee discussed skills shortages and the opportunity to grow jobs within a 90km radius of Cairns.

Department of Employment, Small Business and Training (DESBT) Regional Director Grant Stidiford said over the past 18 months people who were skilled had stopped participating, which was unusual because people weren’t leaving Cairns like they usually did due to Covid.

“People aren’t leaving, normally we have a healthy flow of in and out in a regional community,” he said.

“Our participation rate in Cairns is around 70-72 per cent, the most recent report is around 65 per cent, but that is an improvement. We got down to as low as 62 per cent”

Cairns Chamber of Commerce chief executive Patricia O’Neill said there was an opportunity for businesses if they could take on one person.

Other discussions included how to retain millennial talent, how to grow the region through the future skill set needed and the rental crisis.