Race to the Top

Meeting current and future workforce needs is one of the biggest challenges facing many WA businesses. The urgency of preparing the workforce cannot be underestimated, hence it is a race for industry, education providers and policymakers to deliver a ready workforce. The Committee for Perth will tackle this issue in its 2021-2022 major research project Race to the Top.

Our Bigger and Better Beyond the Boom and Future of Work research projects found that:

• Western Australia’s skilled, educated and creative people will be our most valuable future resource yet are in diminishing supply; and
• Greater Perth’s workforce is influenced by demographic change with an ageing population. Unless addressed, this may negatively impact on the workforce and the regional skill base.

The purpose of the Race to the Top research project is to address immediate labour and skill shortages and prepare the workforce to meet future industry demand.

To do this, Committee for Perth will:

• Examine current sources of labour supply in Western Australia, domestic and overseas, to identify where workers and skills are concentrated. This will include identifying factors that impact and the extent of the impact on labour supply including border restrictions, underemployment and education attainment.
• Examine projected industry growth over the next five years and demand for skills and workers. The factors that can impact future labour supply such as participation in education and training; transition to the workforce; skills transferability; ageing population; and migration trends, will be explored to build a profile of the workforce for the next five years.
• Consult with industry, government, education providers and stakeholders to identify short- and longer-term solutions to address skill issues experienced by specific industries.
• Articulate evidence-based recommendations on issues such as skilled migration; the role of the education sector; links with higher education and industry to deliver a workforce that meets industry needs; ensuring graduates are prepared and can transition to the workforce; and creative use of skilled labour.

To find out more about the project and funding partners benefits, please contact us.