SCHOOLS, employers and business groups are combining resources and targeting teenagers in an effort to address a skills shortage that's hurting regional Australia.
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In a Tamworth-first they're holding a forum to spread the message that profitable careers can be had by "living, training and working in Tamworth and surrounds".
Support for the Live, Train and Work in Tamworth event, an initiative of Tamworth Vetnetwork Inc and Careers Network Inc, has been unanimous among schools and industry, and an estimated 1500 students and professionals are expected to attend the forum.
Careers Network Inc program manager Patrick O'Connor and regional industry career advisor Charles Impy said the aim of the event was to make young people – from Year 9 to 12 – and parents aware of the extensive range of career opportunities available in Tamworth.
The event will be held at the Tamworth Town Hall on Wednesday, September 13, with students and parents invited to attend anytime between 6.30pm and 9pm.
A full spectrum of employers will attend, including Tamworth Regional Council, surveyors, accountants and
a wide range of trades'
representatives.
It's not a career expo, which attracts outside interests, but a solely Tamworth promotional tool to address its own skill shortages, Mr Impy says.
Tamworth Chamber of Commerce president and Carey's Freight Lines general manager Chris Power said the collaborative grass roots approach was the first real step to addressing the skills shortage problem.
"Everyone knows the problem but this is finally more than just talk," Mr Power said.
"It's an opportunity to build the profiles of business groups, career paths and the excellent training opportunities that we have here in Tamworth.
"Nobody is going to fix this problem for us. We're in competition for skilled workers with the rest of Australia so we need to work it out ourselves, and this type of event will help do that."
Tamworth Development Corporation is also on board. The corporation's executive director Jo Byrnes said the event addressed the single most important issue for employers in the region.
"It's about coming up with projects that attract, retain and develop staff and being more creative in our efforts at doing this," Ms Byrnes said.
"This event will cover a core pool of future talent, so we need to be telling them they can live, train and work here and even if they have to go away, they can return to work and continue to train in Tamworth."
Program manager Patrick O'Connor said the intention was to make it an annual event.
"We're specifically targeting the students in Year 9 and 10 and their parents at a time that they're making their decisions on what sort of education and career path they intend to take," Mr O'Connor said.
"Often perceptions are that children need to go to university in other centres or one of the capital cities to make a successful career. We're not saying that young people shouldn't go to university, but that they can do this without leaving Tamworth."
Mr Impy said it was vital to better promote communication and connections between schools and industry.
"Many schools and businesses exist in a sort of isolation at the moment. We need to break down those barriers and provide up-to-date and accurate information between the two," Mr Impy said.
Tamworth Regional Council has also shown its support, providing the Town Hall free of charge and providing buses for outer-region students.
