The Hunter workforce, like that of the nation, is rapidly changing as jobs decline in the traditional high value-add manufacturing and mining sectors, and grow in the service sector and the knowledge-based industries.
At a special event supported by Keolis Downer, called the Future of Hunter Jobs, Hunter Research Foundation (HRF) looks to answer what industry sectors currently dominate our employment market, where they are and their growth prospects and it all means for business.
The HRF research examines the future of six key employment sectors in the Hunter and some of the drivers of employment growth, the skills that will be required and where they will be located. The event will also look more broadly at the future of jobs – the effects of computerisation and digitisation, globalisation and what skills and education will be required to meet emerging industry needs.
HRFs Dr Brent Jenkins will present the key findings from the research, and will be joined at the event by several expert speakers who will add their knowledge and experience. Sue Beitz is a Canberra-based consultant who has worked at senior levels in government to develop policy and manage programs in employment, skills and education, and workplace relations. Sue, who contributed to CEDA’s influential 2015 Australia’s Future Workforce report, will speak about industry transformation, in particular the implications of technological change for jobs and skills.
The event will also feature an interactive panel discussion on the Future of Jobs in which Sue will be joined by academic Professor Bill Mitchell and recruitment specialist Geoff Crews.
Prof. Bill Mitchell is Director of the Centre of Full Employment and Equity (CofFEE) and Professor of Economics at the University of Newcastle. He is a regular commentator on labour markets and labour relations and has extensive consulting experience, having written 26 major commissioned reports since 1988.
Geoff Crews is a Director of Forsythes Recruitment and has been sourcing and recommending staff across this region for 18 years. He has diverse experience as a corporate consultant, investor and board member of local and international organisations.
