Regional Workforce Attraction, Development, and Retention: Sunshine Coast

Abstract

Regional workforce attraction, development, and retention is critical for economic and social prosperity of the Sunshine Coast Region. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies and prompted an exodus from cities to regional Australia, increasing property prices, increasing remote working, and contributing to unprecedented levels of low unemployment. As the demand for labour exceed supply, workforce shortages have been identified as a national priority. The Sunshine Coast is one of the fastest growing regions in Queensland and was among top choices in Queensland for city dwellers in 2022. The region's economy performed well with the Gross Regional Product (GRP) reaching $20.96 billion in 2022, growing by 8.1% from the previous year. As such, local employers are seeking skilled talent. This dynamism creates the opportunity for the Sunshine Coast to play a leading role in workforce attraction, development, and retention in its high-value industries. Collaboration among industry, education and government is crucial to address short and long-term workforce needs. Purpose of the report This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the policy context for the workforce shortages that regions experienced after the pandemic. As such this report aims to: • Develop a regional workforce framework based on existing research evidence. • Analyse the region's economic labour market profile to determine the impact of the recent pandemic on workforce shortages and identify short-term skills gaps. Method The research methodology used to achieve these aims were: • A systematic literature review of 145 peer-reviewed journal papers were analysed and thematically coded to inform the development of a regional workforce framework. • The economic labour market profile used secondary data to analyse the labour supply and demand. Comparative descriptive analysis provides insight into the impact of the pandemic and aid in identifying short-term skills gaps. Key findings Regional workforce framework The regional workforce framework developed from this research outlines four domains of interest that were evidenced from the review of existing research. The four domains of interest to stakeholders in the regional labour market are: • Societal factors: Government programs (Federal, State and Local), labour market policies, infrastructure (including housing, transport, and internet access), economic development strategies, migration, and the pandemic impact.· Industry factors: including labour market, skilled and qualified workforce, public versus private sector, industry drivers, university-government-industry collaboration, and regional reputation.· Organisational factors: factors falling within employers’ control such as employment conditions, training programs, professional development, career advancement opportunities, and employee health and well-being.· Individual and community factors: these factors point to employee considerations such as human capital, skills and continuing professional development, social integration, and professional community.<br>