Australian manufacturing in 2019: local and global opportunities

This report examines the experiences and expectations reported by chief executive officers (CEOs) in Australia's manufacturing industry and the challenges and opportunities currently facing Australian manufacturing, as recorded in Ai Group's 2019 business prospects survey. This fourth report in the series includes: (1) Australian manufacturing in 2019; (2) Australian manufacturing challenges; (3) Australian manufacturing opportunities; and Appendix: CEO business prospects survey 2019 participants and questionnaire.

Workforce development concerns feature prominently for manufacturing businesses in 2019. Twenty-one per cent of manufacturing CEOs nominated 'skill shortages' as their top concern for 2019 (second only to 'lack of demand'), up from 16 per cent in 2018. This concern has been rising steadily since 2013, reflecting an increasing focus on business capabilities, workforce development, innovation and digitalisation. In response to this concern about skills, almost half of manufacturers surveyed in the latest Ai Group Workforce Development Survey (conducted in 2018) [available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 133.795] intended to increase their number of apprentices and trainees over the next twelve months. And to gain work-ready entrants for the workforce, companies are looking at new modes of engagement with local schools and with vocational and university level education.

Edited excerpts from publication.

Ai Group's report on their workforce development survey, 'Skilling: a national imperative', is available in VOCEDplus at TD/TNC 133.795. Show less