Key 2023 Employment and Career Trends

As we enter 2023, some important trends are emerging which are impacting employment and career development in the Central West and Far West Orana regions. These are:

The unemployment rate is continuing to fall in the Central West

Speak to any employer in the Central West and they will tell you that job candidates are still in short supply.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) November 2022 Employment Region Data, the Central West unemployment rate has fallen from 2.8% a year ago and is sitting at 1.8%.

The falling unemployment rate in the region means there are fewer candidates to fill available roles and this is a source of continued frustration for Central West employers. On the flip side, this situation means there has never been a better time for candidates to find the job they want.

Due to the shortage of candidates, employers are now reviewing their hiring practices. This includes outsourcing their recruitment to organisations that offer recruitment services such as Skillset, as well as looking at the transferable skills and abilities of candidates to understand whether they have the capacity to undertake a role successfully, even if they don’t have specific experience. This outcome is a positive one for those searching for a new role in 2023 or planning to re-enter the workforce after a career break.

Far West Orana unemployment statistics tell a different story

In Far West Orana, the unemployment rate is actually increasing and was 4.2% in November 2022, according to the ABS. Generally speaking, this result should mean there are more candidates available to employers.

Unfortunately, youth unemployment in Far West Orana is growing and was 22.4% in November 2022. This situation is due to a range of factors including, but not limited to, low educational attainment rates, lack of access to educational opportunities, transport barriers, and natural disasters affecting the agricultural sector and its jobs. A range of government-funded services and programs are currently in place to target this issue and reduce the region’s youth unemployment rate.

Skillset’s Youth Connect is one such program. Youth Connect is for young people aged 15 to 19 who have either disengaged from or have finished school, and are considering their education and employment pathways. Skillset works with these people to understand their passion, identify education/employment options and provide mentoring/support for the first 26 weeks of a new job or education opportunity to ensure they settle into and are successful with their chosen pathway. Last year, 199 young people participated in Youth Connect.

Apprenticeships and traineeships are increasing

NSW Apprenticeship approvals in the 2022 calendar year were the highest they have been since 2018. In fact, Skillset placed 167 individuals into apprenticeships and 89 people into traineeships in 2022.

Of those apprenticeships and traineeships that were approved by the Western NSW Training Services Regional Office in 2022, the most popular industry sectors were Finance, Insurance and Business Services, followed by Mining, and then Building and Construction.

Hiring an apprentice or trainee is a compelling option for those businesses experiencing skill shortages. If your business is interested in taking on an apprentice or trainee and would like some more information about how Skillset’s Group Training Services can assist, please click here.

Notably, the NSW Government is currently paying the course cost for 100,000 new apprenticeships and 70,000 new traineeships in identified industry areas that need more qualified workers. There are also a number of payments available to apprentices and trainees to help with the costs of undertaking an apprenticeship. These arrangements mean there are few financial barriers to undertaking this career pathway. A list of Skillset’s current apprenticeships and traineeships on offer can be found here.