Skill crisis to return, ACT short of 120,000 - 紐澳

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The Canberra Times- Skill crisis to return, ACT short of 120,000
BY JOHN THISTLETON BUSINESS EDITOR
25 Jan, 2010 01:00 AM

Business leaders warn Canberra's skills crisis is about to return with a
vengeance, with 120,000 employees needing to be replaced within the next five
years They say the global financial crisis has masked the huge shortfall in
the workforce, but as the territory and Australian economy rebound faster
than expected, Canberra will be hard hit.

ACT Chamber of Commerce chief executive Chris Peters said the territory would
fall far short of replacing retiring baby boomers.

Canberra Business Council chief executive Chris Faulks said the shortage was
re-emerging as the single biggest constraint to business and warned Federal
Government departments unable to fill staff positions could leave.

The business leaders point to findings by Access Economics three years ago
which found 45per cent of the ACT workforce intended to retire in the next
five years.

Mr Peters said the global financial crisis re-set the clock to five years
from now, but it still meant 120,000 people would have to be replaced in the
ACT. ''We can't do it,'' he said. ''Our population is 320,000, and the vast
majority of our population work, both men and women that's about 205,000 in
the work place.

''Take half out and that's 100,000 who will be lost.''

He said of the estimated 10,000 graduates each year only 3000 stayed in the
ACT, the rest leaving for Sydney and Melbourne.

''Where are we going to get the difference from? When it [shortage] hits, it
will hit with a vengeance.''

Ms Faulks said the skills deficit was becoming critical in the private and
public sectors. ''The skills shortage didn't go away, it was just during the
GFC people weren't employing and people weren't leaving jobs either, they
were hanging on to what they had,'' she said.

''But as the economy picks up, the signs are that it will return as the
single greatest constraint on business and possibly the biggest risk to the
future growth and development of the ACT in terms of the federal public
service.''

Ms Faulks said poaching staff from the private sector to fill public sector
positions was continuing, with skilled people being offered $10,000 to
$15,000 more to do similar work elsewhere.

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