The Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay Workforce Development Research Project is a partnership program led by Regional Development Australia (RDA) Sunshine Coast, RDA Moreton Bay, the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR), Moreton Bay Regional Council and Sunshine Coast Council, with support from Sunshine Coast Business Council, Sunshine Coast TAFE and the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC).
The research partnership aims to provide critical information to identify the region’s skills and labour needs to plan for the future demands of key infrastructure projects and the impact of the resource sector boom. The steering committee has appointed Deloitte Access Economics to undertake a detailed overview of the region’s current workforce and its projected changes over the next 20 years.
The project will identify and analyse the gaps and overlaps in the supply of skills and labour across the Sunshine Coast and Moreton Bay regions, to quantify employment opportunities and skills requirements for the Sunshine Coast’s major infrastructure projects.
To capitalise on these opportunities, Deloitte Access Economics will conduct research into the region’s labour and skills needs generating a report that will form the basis of a regional workforce development strategy and action plan.
The major infrastructure projects include construction of the Sunshine Coast Private Hospital, Sunshine Coast University Hospital, Kawana and Sippy Downs shopping centres, North Harbour (North East Business Park), development of Caloundra South, Caboolture West and North Lakes, which will also include a private hospital, the upgrade of the Bruce Highway, development and construction of the Maroochydore Town Centre, construction of the Moreton Bay Rail Link, and proposed Sunshine Coast Airport extension plus the broadband infrastructure associated with the NBN roll-out and private consortiums.
The workforce research project would also be used to understand the region’s role in supporting the mining regions and help determine:
• The skills and employment pathways leading to jobs in the resources sector;
• What the job opportunities are and where they are located;
• The existing resources sector workforce based in the region; and
• The extent of existing supply chain businesses providing goods and services to the sector.
A steering committee comprising RDA Sunshine Coast, RDA Moreton Bay, Sunshine Coast Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council and the DEEWR Local Employment Coordinator will oversee this project, with the project due to be completed by the end of 2012.