City must give hope to young

THERE are plenty of jobs for the young in Townsville but they are too fussy and reluctant to take them.

That is the opinion of Allara Learning’s Arthur Burchatt, who says today’s youth “want it all and want it now” and are reluctant to take the many jobs that are available.

CBC Staff Selection research shows the number of people aged 15-24 working in Townsville had dropped from 26,900 in 2009 to 19,300 a decade later.

This is a staggering statistic and while it is easy to criticise a lack of desire to work in youngsters, it would not be the only contributing factor.

Like other regional centres,

Townsville suffers from an exodus of youngsters once they finish school or university.

They see greater opportunities for their social and professional lives in cities such as Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne compared with regional centres, and make the move south.

Our young population was identified as a major resource for Townsville’s future prosperity by the council in 2017.

In announcing its Townsville 2020 masterplan, the council detailed a vision for the city that, among other things, was meant to engage our younger population.

The Bulletin quoted Mayor Jenny Hill, in December 2017, saying: “Townsville’s young population will be a major strength for the city in the future and Townsville 2020 plans to secure those economic and social benefits.”

However, as we enter the final months of 2019 there has been little to no progress.

Certainly, the latest research would indicate our youngsters are more disengaged than ever.

Getting them to stay in Townsville and make a meaningful contribution remains a major challenge.

If the southern exodus is not addressed it will have a major impact on our city in future years.