NSW Regional Development Australia Network

Response:

It is recommended that there are clear lines of communications and aligned goals between the JSA (DEWR) and the Regional Education Commissioner (Dept of Education) and their respective departments in recognition of the importance of the Regional Education Commissioner’s remit as recommended in the 2020 Napthine Review (the role was appointed at the end of 2022)

It is also strongly recommended that the NSW RDA Network is acknowledged and included in the design of the JSA structure based on the following RDA strengths: -
a)	local knowledge derived from our remit to promote and facilitate regional economic development and in particular workforce attraction and investment 
b)	The NSW RDA Network collaborates strongly with our state government stakeholders, local businesses, and community to progress priority agendas and provides ongoing intelligence and regional analysis 
c)	Capacity as an enabler of skilled migration resulting from +5 years’ experience. The NSW RDAs are contracted by the NSW Government to assist with the processing of Skilled Work Regional visa (Subclass 491) applications in recognition of our knowledge of local labour markets and business needs. All NSW RDAs, except for Sydney, are also Regional Certifying Bodies for the Skilled Employer Sponsored Regional visa (Subclass 494). RDA Orana also has a Designated Area Migration Agreement in place
d)	Community standing and longevity in our role as a lead convenor of local business leaders and industry stakeholder meetings; collectively we aim to co-design placed-based solutions to address local issues including workforce shortages and to stem the exodus of young people from rural and remote regions
e)	Current undertakings including the execution of employment and skills surveys, data collection and provision of labour market insights, e.g. identifying critical skill shortages and labour imbalances 
f)	RDAs are not member-based and therefore represent all key regional stakeholders, providing independent representation
g)	Communication reach and engagement strategies.

The NSW RDA network offers a unique perspective and would welcome an opportunity to consult with and provide input to inform the JSA’s annual strategic workplan, projects, data collection and other activities. The RDA’s position as a trusted partner of government, industry and the community will complement future JSA governance functions and structures.

Response:

It is recommended that JSA commit to the following core principles:-

Fairness and Equity should underpin decision making, priority setting and resource allocation to ensure the needs of rural and regional stakeholders and their constituents are met and reflected in JSA’s workplan to avoid a ‘city-centric’ and urban industry sector bias. 

Inclusion & Local Engagement to ensure the views of those living and working in rural and regional NSW are understood. According to a recent UHURI report “Many residents (and some policy stakeholders) perceived that policies relating to regional areas were made by metropolitan decision-makers and were not always informed by sufficient local knowledge.” (source Understanding the lived experience and benefits of regional cities, UHURI Final Report No. 377 May 2022).

Place based solutions – as noted by Regional Australia Institute “There is no single manifestation of regional Australia, it is diverse and dynamic. This means that approaches to regional development must be place-based, taking into account local needs and local conditions.”  ( source: Regionalisation-Consultation Paper digital pdf” RAI March 2022)

Fully resourced – workplans, projects and activities must be fully funded and achievable within prescribed timeframe to secure buy-in and accountability. Measurable targets should be set and regular progress reviews published.

Sustainable – to avoid waste and failures a review of current projects and pipeline proposals  should be undertaken at a local level to avoid duplication and to assess what works and what doesn’t at a place-based level. The RDA network can provide insights.

Response:

It is recommended that, prior to final endorsement of JSA’s workplans, the NSW RDA network is provided with an opportunity to review and comment on draft plans and given sufficient time to consider and discuss the impacts of proposed workplans with local stakeholders.

The NSW RDA Network could assist JSA seek broader input by hosting JSA representatives in rural and regional areas and facilitating engagement activities with more diverse stakeholders across each region. This is important because what works in one region will not necessarily work in another. For example, in the NSW Mid-North Coast there are enormous gaps between labour markets, education and support programs, with each operating in very distinct silos. This does not necessarily apply to other regions, e.g. Hunter.

Furthermore, the NSW RDAs can deliver cost effective and responsive activities including focus groups; facilitated round table discussions; and peer-to-peer meetings to engage and harness meaningful and local market insights.

Response:

It is recommended that JSA utilise the NSW RDA Network and leverage the organisations’ existing diverse stakeholder base that can be readily convened for face to face & virtual consultations. Stakeholders include respected local businesses, SME, NFP, education providers (school, VET and HE), human services/community, recruiters and industry groups.  

In rural and regional areas the NSW RDA Network is the natural “go-to” stakeholder for government and industry bodies seeking to expand and raise awareness of their activities. With a physical presence in 14 regions across the state the NSW RDA Network has a suite of ‘tried and tested’ tools and strategies to capture voices and incorporate opinions across diverse industry sectors and geographies due to their agility, well established (10+ years) reputation and  engagement and communication activities.

Response:

The NSW RDAs recommend the provision of time series data to understand current and future labour market needs, not only at the national level but at the local regional level. NSW RDAs can provide feedback on how labour requirements are changing in their region to better inform skills lists and planning around housing and services such as education and health. Many NSW RDAs conduct local skill shortage surveys/research.

It is also recommended that data & information collection: -
•	is at a ‘granular’ level (LGA level where possible) and released as frequently as practicable (but at least every six months). Priority must focus on areas of most need, e.g., regions with real labour shortages such as of GPs / Nurses / Health Practitioners; and
•	assesses occupation demand/supply mismatch and causation, e.g., lack of local training/education opportunities; and
•	identifies reasons for non-participation of disadvantaged groups. For example, in an NSW Region the Local Jobs Taskforce examined how many jobseekers had drivers licenses and found that only 19% of the cohort were licensed. The Employment Fund can reimburse for driving lessons from an approved provider however only 1.7% of Jobseekers had accessed this option. The JSA, in this instance, could conduct qualitative research into why the uptake is low from the lens of the Jobseeker, Workforce Australia Provider and the Service Provider. The outcome of this research could result in changes to program administration, program redesign or the introduction of a completely different program model. 
•	considers in real time regional migration survey results, (currently collated by the NSW RDA network) to ensure the feedback is collated, analysed and widely distributed (shared) to better understand migration patterns, behaviours and trends. 
•	place based pilot studies to build an evidence base of what is required to achieve employment for jobseekers (build an evidence base of solutions)
•	Jobseeker health and wellbeing measurements and the evidence indicators required to make a difference

To help retain workers in the regions, it is also recommended that JSA endeavours to better understand reasons for the flow of younger people and school leavers towards urban centres. These could include training or employment opportunities as well as career development or simply the lure of big cities. Regional centres can only grow the workforce from within, or through overseas migration or attracting workers from outside the region (internal migration). For these reasons retention of young people in regional areas is vital to ‘grow a workforce’ from within.  Coupled with “…reduced employment and career development options that are seen as a downside to relocation to regional cities, particularly for private sector workers” (UHURI’s Final Report No. 377 May 2022) these factors contribute to a major challenge and barrier to a sustainable and skilled regional workforce.

Finally, and if not already in play, it is recommended that JSA collects data on new occupations and industries and in doing so continues to update the ANZSCO codes and in particular emerging occupations and technical sectors, e.g., AgTech and AI assisted technologies impacting specifically mining, construction and agriculture.

Response:

It is recommended that JSA’s engagement strategies be inclusive and utilise a suite of communication tools and methodologies to capture the views of all stakeholders and - in particular - hard to reach groups such as migrants, CALD, First Nations, over 55’s and people with disabilities. Accessible and culturally appropriate trained facilitators maybe required to enhance engagement opportunities.

To capture the views of a broad range of skills & current workers, industry specific and targeted communications are recommended to reach all occupations and levels including new entrants, apprentices, experienced supervisors, middle managers, and executives. 
 
JSA must also endeavour to ‘close the loop’ and provide feedback in a timely manner. This will help training/education providers, school/higher education leavers and jobseekers better understand current and emerging training, career, and job opportunities in a timely manner and in unison with JSA’s findings and workplans.

Response:

It is recommended that JSA utilise existing networks and mechanisms including the NSW RDA Networks, community initiatives and Industry, Education and Careers Expos to raise awareness of its products. 

Facilitated, in person and hybrid meetings work well in regional and rural areas, along with activities run concurrently with other events, expos and in-region ‘shows’.

Response:

It is recommended that JSA investigate the vast data banks and repositories including open data sources currently available; third party access can be expensive and problematic.  Access, analysis and distribution are key to unlocking existing datasets and in particular information held by government departments, e.g., Data NSW.  

Regardless, data must be presented in accordance with accepted current standards to allow comparative and meaningful synthesising, accompanied with clear narrative and qualitative data to support datasets.  Provision of a user configurable and interactive dashboard presentation is also useful.
Standardised data collection and presentation should conform to current administrative boundaries as defined by ABS, with preference for LGAs as the defined boundaries.

Response:

No further comments