The Red Centre is the heart of Australia, and is at the heart of the tourism sector (including tourism, events and hospitality). The tourism sector has long faced labour and skill shortages. Currently this is intensified by competing demands for skilled labour in other sectors. The Red Centre of the Northern Territory faces additional challenges in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce due to its remote location, the low population base, the seasonal nature of the work, and the transient population. The changing nature of the tourism market creates new skill needs to address changing to... Show more
The Red Centre is the heart of Australia, and is at the heart of the tourism sector (including tourism, events and hospitality). The tourism sector has long faced labour and skill shortages. Currently this is intensified by competing demands for skilled labour in other sectors. The Red Centre of the Northern Territory faces additional challenges in attracting and retaining a skilled workforce due to its remote location, the low population base, the seasonal nature of the work, and the transient population. The changing nature of the tourism market creates new skill needs to address changing tourism demands. These challenges are depicted in the data reported in the Australian tourism labour force report [indexed in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 108.1482] identifying the Red Centre of the Northern Territory as one of eight 'hot spots' in which labour and skills shortages are most pronounced.
These workforce demand issues are even more prominent in the Red Centre given the region's identification as one of 16 National Landscapes, which tourism experiences are to be marketed to the world. These marketing promises can only be delivered through the continuation of a healthy, robust and sustainable workforce. The Red Centre is one of only six National Landscapes which, at the same time, have been identified as tourism employment hotspots. For this reason, the Red Centre, along with Broome, is considered to be an immediate priority area, with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism investing resources to explore the key, region specific, workforce issues and to develop and implement strategies to address these issues. This is the first of eight tourism employment plans to be rolled out nationally under the guidance of the Tourism 2020 Labour and Skills Working Group.
Edited excerpts from publication.
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