Upload
others
View
0
Download
0
Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Submission to the Inquiry into Sustainable Employment for Disadvantaged Jobseekers Parliament of Victoria, August 2019
LA EIC - Disadvantaged Jobseekers Inquiry Submission no. 84Received: 9 August 2019
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 1 of 18
1. Who we are
The Gippsland East Local Learning and Employment
Network is a not-for-profit association working
across the East Gippsland and Wellington Shires
(Outer Gippsland). We are dedicated to increasing
local pathways for education and employment.
We bring together over 360 employers, schools,
tertiary education providers, community and
government agencies and individuals - so people in
Gippsland East can develop the knowledge, skills and
experience to succeed in the world of work.
We undertake networking, information exchange
and analysis, strategic planning, and supporting
regional initiatives that are beyond the scope of
capacity of individual stakeholders.
Our uniquely valuable contribution to the region is to
deliver a range of initiatives co-designed with the
community to create change by bridging gaps and
facilitating opportunities.
People in our region have access to fewer local
education and training opportunities than those in
cities. This, in turn, limits their capacity to attain
sustainable employment.
This is the focus of our submission to the Committee
of Inquiry into Sustainable Employment for
Disadvantaged Jobseekers.
Jane Ponting
Jane Ponting
Executive Officer
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 2 of 18
2. Summary
Access and attainment
a. Given Gippsland East’s geography and social demography, equity in accessing opportunities to access the
skills and knowledge required for sustainable employment is a significant issue of concern within
Gippsland East.
b. With median household incomes in the region up to 35% lower than the national income level, the cost of
access to education and employment can place strain on decisions to invest in education or participate in
employment.
c. Although the Region traditionally has strong achievement in traditional trades, its economy is vulnerable
to changes - including but not limited to technological disruption – that are occurring in many industry
sectors, and which affect areas of technical careers and their employment outcomes.
d. Limited access to formal and informal education and training can be a significant barrier to economic and
social growth – particularly as one moves further east.
e. ‘Lack of aspiration’ is not about motivation but can be more accurately considered as the ‘capacity to
imagine futures’.
f. Regional labour requirement factors and individual jobseeker preparedness challenge employers in
recruiting the Region’s workforce.
Supporting sustainable employment
a. Barriers of distance from centres of learning and commerce, lack of public transport, limited internet
access, travel and accommodation costs in pursuing sustainable employment in Gippsland East
b. Government investment in education and employment programs affect the extent to which jobseekers
are able to enter the workforce
c. The need for sustainable employment in Gippsland East is as relevant for jobseekers attempting to enter
the workforce as it is for workers who are caught up in precarious work cycles.
d. Technology such as internet-based learning and video-conferencing presents significant opportunities but
can also fail geographically remote students or remote job seekers.
e. Additional targeted support to access opportunities is required in areas which lack public transport,
especially for travel to study in tertiary education and employment.
f. Workers require ongoing access to training and support to increase their skills so they can remain working
now and in the future.
g. Community-led support programs that engage industry, schools, training providers and other
organisations help to lift aspiration for post school pathways and are proven to impact successful
transitions into sustainable employment.
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 3 of 18
3. Setting the scene
Gippsland East comprises the second and third largest geographic municipalities in Victoria, with significant natural
resources: mountains, wilderness areas, lakes and coastline. Nearly half of the population lives in Bairnsdale and
Sale– the region’s largest commercial hubs and service centres. The other half lives in 50 small towns and villages
making a regional patchwork of isolated localities from Mallacoota to Rosedale (east to west) and from Omeo to
Port Albert (north to south).
The Region’s Remoteness Area Classification ranges from Inner Regional on the western side of Wellington to
Remote in the East Gippsland eastern corner.
Approximately 90,837 people call the Gippsland East home. The population is generally ageing and only 11% of
residents who will contribute to the next generation workforce are young people between 15-24 years.
Gippsland East accounts for only 1.5% of the State’s population (33% of Gippsland’s population); with a population
density of less than three people for every square kilometre.
In many ways Gippsland East residents have a strong sense of connection with the region and the lifestyle it offers.
Commitment to the natural environment, the people in the local community and a strong sense of social
engagement1 contributes to compensating for isolation of distance and often limited employment opportunities.
One third of residents undertake volunteer work against a Victorian average 19% volunteering. For those who
leave to experience city life at university or work, there is often a strong pull to return home to raise families.
Connectivity
Most residents rely on motor cars to travel from home to school or work rather than infrequent regional train
services and a network of bus services that is based mainly on the Princes Highway spine that runs along the length
of Gippsland East.
Although the NBN is being rolled out across the Region, the digital divide remains a significant barrier to
participation in tertiary education and training – and to new industry creation and associated jobs growth. The
Digital Inclusion Index measures affordability and digital ability indicators as well as access and identifies Victoria’s
eastern region as being almost 11.8% under levels of digital inclusion of Melbourne and well under statewide and
national rates.
TABLE 1. ACCESS TO DIGITAL SERVICES2
Australia Victoria Melbourne Gippsland East
Household access 83.2% 83.7% 85.6% 76.2%
Digital inclusion* 54.5% 55.9% 58.5% 46.7%
1 Vic. Dept Health & Human Services Outer Gippsland profile 2015
2 Roy Morgan / Swinburne CSI Australian Digital Inclusion Index 2018
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 4 of 18
Regional disadvantage
The region is considered to be one of relative low socio-economic status. Median weekly household incomes in the
region range between 25% to 35% lower than the national income level.
TABLE 2. GIPPSLAND EAST MEDIAN WEEKLY HOUSEHOLD INCOME 20163
Median weekly income
East Gippsland Wellington Victoria Australia
$935 $1,101 $1,419 $1,438
For many people living in Gippsland East, distance and financial disadvantage work together to create barriers to
accessing education and employment outside of their local community. Many families fall within the lowest two
categories of unskilled and unemployed workers.
The 2016 SEIFA combined indicators of advantage and disadvantage rank Gippsland East’s shires below the median
national and Victorian scores.
TABLE 3. RELATIVE SOCIO-ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE AND DISADVANTAGE IN GIPPSLAND EAST 20164
Shire Score National Ranking Victorian Ranking
East Gippsland 942 192 14
Wellington 961 257 25
Employment base
Gippsland East has approximately 34,500 jobs, predominantly in SMEs of five or less employees. This represents
32.8% people working in Gippsland. The top employing industries range of sectors from health/social assistance to
manufacturing.
TABLE 4. GIPPSLAND EAST TOP EMPLOYING INDUSTRIES 20185
3 ABS Community Profiles Census 2016
4 ABS SEIFA INDEX SCORES 2016
5 REM Plan Economic Profiles Wellington and East Gippsland Shires 2018, representing total number of employees in the sector – full time, part time and casual.
2340
2563
2689
3037
3501
3812
4182
4893
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000
Manufacturing
Public administration and safety
Accommodation and food services
Education and training
Construction
Retail Trade
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
Health Care and Social Assistance
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 5 of 18
Despite a broad regional industry base (see Appendix 1 Top three employing industries by township), individual
towns are particularly susceptible to the health of single employing businesses, for example [food] manufacturing
in Bairnsdale or [timber milling] manufacturing in Heyfield.
Economic growth in Gippsland East is anticipated to yield a modest 7,150 additional people employed by 2032.
Demographic change and an ongoing shift towards a service-based economy are important drivers of employment
demand6.
Accessing education and training
Secondary education7
The region is serviced by nine secondary colleges, three P-12 schools, and four campuses for alternative VCAL
provision. Student retention to Year 12 (or equivalent) is 73% (against the Victorian average of 88%).
Four in ten school leavers go on to further education and training at Certificate IV or higher (against the state
average of 7 in 10). Five in ten school leavers exchange study for paid full time or part time work. Over 20% young
people between 15-19 years who leave school are described as ‘disengaged’ – they are not studying, looking for
work or working (against the Victorian average for disengaged youth is 16%).
Under its Education State Policy, the Victorian Government is making significant investments in programs that
increase students’ access to careers education and connecting schools to industry. Some programs, for example
Headstart for school-based apprenticeships and traineeships, are slow to commence in Gippsland East when their
rollout is prioritised by size of population.
Vocational Education and Training (VET)
Most local VET courses from Certificate III and above are provided by TAFE Gippsland, which has campuses at
Bairnsdale and Sale. A small facility at Lakes Entrance provides limited maritime training. The existing Sale campus
is located 10 km out of town and construction of a new campus at the Port of Sale is imminent, with an opening
date planned for 2022.
TAFE Gippsland delivers approximately 30% of the courses that students undertake through VET in Schools
programs; the majority of courses being delivered by other TAFEs and private RTOs. This creates a tension for the
local TAFE in delivering pathways into further VET courses that lead to local employment.
VET courses are regarded as pathways to employment in services and traditional trades - and are clustered
predominantly around community services, trades, office work and health. Enrolments in Certificate III courses and
more highly represented in the Region than across Victoria as a whole with less uptake of higher Certificate IV or
Diploma level courses.
The Region continues to need leadership from a strong local TAFE to help meet the rapid industry transformation
and skill shortages now and into the future by skilling new workers and upskilling existing workers8.
6 Vic. Dept Education and Training Overview of Skills and Jobs in Outer Gippsland 2018
7 Vic. Dept Education & Training On Track 2017 8 Parker, Stephen Importance of TAFE to Victoria’s Prosperity, (KPMG) 2018
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 6 of 18
TABLE 5. GIPPSLAND EAST VET COMMENCEMENTS 20179
Level of education Certs 1 and 2 Cert III Cert IV Dip / Adv Dip
Gippsland East 16% 52% 15% 16%
Regional Victoria 16% 49% 21% 13%
Victoria 19% 37% 24% 20%
The geography and demographic profile of the Region’s distributed population makes it unviable for TAFE
Gippsland to offer a broad range of VET options outside of its main campuses, except via online delivery. Inhibiting
factors include the:
• Difficulty in building scale in student cohorts;
• Difficulty in recruiting experienced and qualified discipline-based trainers;
• Costs of maintaining dedicated infrastructure;
• Costs of administering distributed systems and services.
These barriers to VET provision mean that in spite of significant Government investment in the sector, potential
VET students in Gippsland East remain disadvantaged in their capacity to access VET locally. Of the ‘Free TAFE’
courses, responding to identified industry demand for skilled workers, 68% courses are either not delivered by
TAFE Gippsland or are not delivered within Gippsland East (see Appendix 2: Gippsland East local VET (Feb. 2019) by
top 5 employing industries).
TABLE 6. SUMMARY OF GIPPSLAND EAST ACCESS TO ‘FREE VET’ COURSES 2019
Industry by ANZSIC Gippsland East top employing
industries
Victorian
‘Free TAFE’ courses
Federation Training
‘Free TAFE’ courses
Closest campus
Health Care & Social Assistance 1 15 9 4 B’dale, Traralgon
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing 2 7 6 2 B’dale, 5 Sale
Retail Trade 3 - - -
Construction 4 15 9 4 B’dale, Yallourn
Education and Training 5 2 2 2 B’dale
Accommodation & Food Services 6 4 3 2 B’dale
Public Administration & Safety 7 1 0
Manufacturing 8 6 3 1 B’dale, 1 Sale
It is also important to remember that where there is access to ‘Free TAFE’ courses, this means free tuition but does
not allow for associated materials costs, travel costs or sometimes required accommodation costs – all of which
form realistic financial barriers to accessing the initiative.
9 Vic. Dept Education & Training On Track 2017
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 7 of 18
Higher Education
Gippsland as a whole, is serviced by the Federation University campus at Churchill (see Appendix 3. Gippsland East
access to tertiary education). Most Gippsland residents who enrol as ‘on campus’ students leave home to attend
universities in Melbourne.
University participation and attainment within Gippsland is lower than the average national participation and
attainment figures. This is also reflected in Gippsland East where university courses generally are regarded as
pathways to the lower professions and services – careers clustered predominantly around teaching and health.
TABLE 7. GIPPSLAND HIGHER EDUCATION TRENDS 2005 - 2017
Australia has Gippsland has
30% more people hold degrees 8% less students enrol full time
16% more people study Post Graduate courses 8% less male students enrol
15% more people enrol per 1,000 population 4% less students enrol ‘on campus’
6% more people commence degrees per 1,000 population
Overall Gippsland university trends10 also show:
• School leavers are twice as likely to defer and not later take up their place (Gippsland 31% vs Victoria
16%)
• Off campus or multimodal course growth has nearly doubled since 2005
• Off campus and part-time enrolments is growing faster than on-campus enrolments
• The percentage of students enrolling has increased since 2005 by a modest 4%.
• The percentage of students successfully completing since 2011 has decreased by 9%
• Mature age entry (25 years and over) is growing faster than youth entry (15 – 24 years).
In Gippsland East, these trends play out as:
• Nearly half of all university enrolments in the Region are ‘off campus’ (i.e. online or multimodal)
• Wellington students have the highest Gippsland number of university commencements but also the
lowest number of successful completions- high % commence/lowest % completion
• East Gippsland students have the lowest number of university enrolments in Gippsland and the highest
number of off-campus (online or multi-model) enrolments.
The fields of study in which students enrol are measured broadly by state. They indicate strong alignment with
Gippsland East industries in areas of Health and Education and then alignment gradually decreases. The fields of
Science, Engineering and Information Technology help to underpin technical innovation.
TABLE 8. VICTORIAN HIGHER EDUCATION ENROLMENTS BY FIELD OF STUDY 201711
Top field of study enrolments
20% Health 3% Information Technology
11% Education 1% Agriculture & Environment
9% Science <0.5% Food & Fibre
6% Engineering <0.5% Tourism
10 Aust. Dept Education Higher Education Returns 2005-2017
11 Aust. Dept Education Higher Education Returns 2017
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 8 of 18
4. Equipped for sustainable employment
Aspiration: you can’t be what you can’t see
A frequent comment in discussions about many jobseekers in the region is that ‘they lack aspiration’ - as if this
translates lack of motivation and that they are somehow to blame for limited hopes or ambitions. For these and
other regional job seekers it is more accurate to recast education and employment aspiration as ‘the capacity to
imagine futures’12. This capacity is affected by the impact of practical and financial constraints on opportunity,
shaped by: geographic location; access to education and jobs; and family and peer tradition. Student experience at
school plays a key role in informing and influencing students’ decisions about the pathways they choose after
school and which subjects they study to help them onto that pathway.
There may also be a tension between recognising the value of taking up opportunities and the lack of
opportunities to successfully do so, thus limiting or precluding choices that, in another setting, would indicate high
aspirations. For example, concerns such as the cost of transport in accessing education or employment or a
tolerable travel-to-study/employment distance before needing to leave home are key factor in jobseekers’ choices,
particularly if they live in places characterised by socioeconomic disadvantage.
In this more constructive way, determinants of ‘aspiration’ can be viewed as the cumulative relationships between
factors that affect a jobseeker’s capacity to see different opportunities and possibilities and reflect how far they
wish to progress. All play a part in determining how jobseekers in Gippsland East ‘choose’ and navigate pathways
to employment.
What employers are seeking
Across Gippsland, employers recruiting staff13 tend to select:
• mature age workers 39%
• recent school leavers 28%
• tertiary qualified (university 13% and VET 14%)
• unemployed for longer than 12 months – to a far lesser extent.
Over 80% employers agree that trained staff are more valuable to the workplace and nearly 80% say that skills are
more important than qualifications. Their increasing reliance on contract services acts as a disincentive to formal
training and businesses are turning to informal training as a solution to their skills needs.
Over half of Gippsland employers looking for staff report difficulties in filling roles. The main reasons for this reflect
either regional labour characteristics or individual jobseeker preparedness. On top of these, are the shortfalls
associated with 75% future jobs are forecast to involve skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
(STEM) 14, with estimates that over one third young people lack the STEM proficiency they will require.
12 NCVER Geographical and Place Dimensions of Post-School Participation in Education and Work 2015
13 Vic. Dept Education and Training Overview of Skills and Jobs in Outer Gippsland 2018 14 FYA How are young people faring in the transition from school to work 2015
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 9 of 18
TABLE 9. DIFFICULTIES IN FINDING THE RIGHTS PERSON FOR THE JOB
Regional labour characteristics Jobseeker preparedness
Small populations i.e. few applicants apply Lack of relevant experience
Workloads offered are part-time and seasonal work. Lack relevant qualifications/technical job specific skills
Workplace is difficult to access e.g. remote location Lack of enterprise skills e.g. management/leadership, problem solving
Type of work is unappealing Lack of basic language, literacy, numeracy or digital literacy skills
Not work ready - poor attitude/presentation
Transitioning into employment
Current Government initiatives aim to make a difference by helping priority cohorts, such as young people who
have left school early, indigenous and long-term unemployed jobseekers to enter the workforce.
In Gippsland East training and employment programs such as:
• VET: Regional and Specialist Training Skills Fund, Skills and Jobs Centres
• ACFE: Strengthening Pathways for Learners in Gippsland Project
• Employment: Jobs Victorian Employment Network
have had reasonable success in making jobseekers ‘work ready’ and encouraging them into regional industries –
upskilling disadvantaged workers in horticulture, hospitality and health support.
It is unclear how many of these workers who have accessed these programs have maintained their employment or
have cycled back into unemployment after a short time.
Sustainable employment in the ‘gig’ economy
Most new jobs created in the region in the past three years have been part time. This provides a significant
challenge for workers in Gippsland East, escaping the ‘gig’ economy’s cycle of precarious part-time, temporary,
casual work. The average quality and security of work in Australia has deteriorated over the last few years with the
growth of part–time work, temporary work and work casualisation. This means that for more people in Gippsland
East work is increasingly insecure. Workers don’t know when they’re going to be working or if they’ll have enough
work.
A decreasing number of young people between 15 and 24 years have full-time work. They experience
unemployment and underemployment more than other groups. Some, including those who are building digital or
entrepreneurial careers seek the flexibility to balance multiple jobs and studies. Others seek but struggle to find
stability and secure incomes15.
Traditionally reliable pathways from university or VET to a permanent, full-time job are not providing the Region’s
young people with the same outcomes they once did. For younger workers there is often a mis-match between
study decisions and employment opportunities. Older workers have outdated or less relevant qualifications.
Retraining costs, to update or better align are often prohibitive where same level qualifications are already held.
15 Torii, K and O’Connell, M Preparing Young People for the Future of Work (Mitchell Institute) 2017
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 10 of 18
5. Community-led approach to supporting sustainable employment
Access to education and skills is identified as the Region’s top priority, with a desired outcome that people in
Gippsland succeed - and are prepared for life and future life opportunities16. This is the underpinning for Gippsland
East’s capacity to increase sustainable employment opportunities.
The challenges of increasing sustainable employment are related not only to unemployed jobseekers but also to
workers whose skills are outdated or who are working in ‘precarious’ employment – all of whom face the financial
and social problems of cycling between work and government benefits.
To close the gap between the skills workers have and those employers are looking for, access to education and
training opportunities is paramount in ensuring workers are set up to succeed in employment.
For workers, the challenge is not just transitioning to work but also to build long-term capacity by acquiring the
right skills, knowledge and mindsets required for long term success in a changing jobs market.
In Gippsland East, local commitment and robust partnerships are helping to line up government, education
providers, industry and community with local action so that people are not just helped into work but to stay in
work. Additional targeted support places emphasis on what can be achieved locally to enhance connectivity
between employers and the current and next generation workforce – mitigating against regional barriers of
distance from centres of learning, lack of transport, lack of internet access, travel costs, limited education
providers and programs are mitigated.
Case study 1: informing pathways decisions Gippsland East LLEN manages partnership brokerage and workplace learning contracts through Dept Education
and Training that support schools by linking students to our industry network. A series of place-based initiatives
are delivered each year and, in 2018, these resulted in 854 students participating in 21 programs aimed at building
their knowledge of regional career and work opportunities in regional growth industries – and increasing their
aspirations. We recognise that no single program will provide the answer to introducing students to new
possibilities for their post-school life, and so utilise a range of initiatives that are tailored to meet the needs of
individual schools and suit local industry sectors. They include career planning; industry immersions; working with
local businesses to solve problems; learning work-ready skills; digital innovation festivals; and meeting with
potential employers.
Further challenges to be addressed include:
• expanding the scope of programs to include digital innovation in the context of limited access to relevant
courses being offered in local schools and at TAFE Gippsland; and as central to underpinning future
industry demand
• supporting people to understand what the job landscape of the future is and how their skills can be used
to transition between roles and stages of their career
• helping employers prepare for student placements to ensure quality experiences for all parties in the
process.
16 Gippsland Regional Partnership priorities 2018
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 11 of 18
Case study 2: Leveraging cross-border opportunities Gippsland East LLEN recognises that geographic barriers to education and employment increase as people live
further east. It is easier for some of the region’s population to access to education and employment in New South
Wales than it is in Melbourne (see Appendix 3. Gippsland East access to tertiary education).
TABLE 10. FAR EASTERN ACCESS TO EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT
Distance to Orbost Cann River Mallacoota
Melbourne 373 km 4.20 hrs
446 km 5.09 hrs
515 km 6.03 hrs
Canberra 364 km 4.10 hrs
289 km 3.17 hrs
358 km 4.11 hrs
In 2018 we trialled an initiative to link students from Cann River and Mallacoota with employers at Eden,
Merimbula and Bega. Following the success of this venture, we initiated discussions with the Victorian Cross-
Border Commissioner to investigate the feasibility of providing equality of access to VET ‘Free TAFE’ courses. These
have resulted in negotiations between TAFE Gippsland and Bega TAFE to support approximately ten potential VET
students who would otherwise be unable to access training without leaving home.
Further challenges to be addressed include:
• developing a sustainable platform for building a network of southern NSW employers who will work with
Victorian jobseekers
• fostering uptake of VET in communities that have traditionally considered their geographic location to be
a barrier.
Case study 3: Co-designing with industry
Gippsland East LLEN is acutely aware that local employers are committed to supporting young people who will
make up the next generation of the workforce. They are also clear that they need to see value for the
contributions that they make for the time and effort invested in working with young job seekers.
Initiatives such as the Workplace Safety program at Patties Foods prepares students for work placements, aligns
with their VCAL studies, and provides Bairnsdale’s largest employer with an opportunity to meet prospective
workers. In 2018, 80 students from six schools completed the training and assessment for this program.
The work currently underway under the Shared Local Solutions project is co-designing with industry pre-accredited
training that will lead to an uplift in sustainable employment in the hospitality industry. Through program co-
delivery, employers shape training that covers the skills they are seeking and builds their confidence in the
workforce. They are able to look at prospective staff and contribute to their growth and jobseekers are able to
make direct contact with potential employers.
Further challenges to be addressed include:
• helping regional businesses design work contexts that contribute to sustainable employment
• ensuring that regional training delivery matches employment skills needs and jobs
• accelerating employers’ capacity to test that workers have the enterprise skills required
• developing strategies to build literacy (language, numeracy and digital) in the workplace.
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 12 of 18
Case study 4: Supporting tertiary study
Gippsland East LLEN is the lead organisation in partnership with: Federation University; East Gippsland Shire; TAFE
Gippsland; Wellington Shire; and Nexus Mutual. The project is supported in 2019 by Commonwealth Dept.
Education.
We are implementing the Gippsland East Higher Education Study Hub across the region. The Hub is due to
commence operation at the end of August 2019 and aims to increase the number of residents who successfully
complete university courses.
While it presents significant opportunities for geographically isolated and remote students, online and mixed-
mode learning can serve to further add barriers to students who attempt courses as off-campus. Although
predominantly established to support off-campus study, any university student whose home is in Gippsland East
and who holds a Commonwealth Supported Place - studying any course at any university is can be supported
through the Study Hub.
The Hub will provide learning and other support services to students who are dealing with factors inhibiting
enrolment and completion such as: the cost of studying away from home; limited access to student support when
studying online; and life-style decisions to balance study with home and work, and with community/social
engagement17.
Further challenges to be addressed include:
• replicating the business model to provide support for VET students who are studying online.
• negotiating further uplift pathways from VET to Higher Education
• working with the Skills and Jobs Centre to link professional workers and employers to training that will
upskill the existing workforce and ensure jobseekers have skills that align with industry training demand
• linking research and other university projects with regional businesses to solve local problems.
Case study 5: Building digital entrepreneurial capability
Gippsland East LLEN is working with East Gippsland Shire to extend the value of the Gippsland East Study Hub base
in Bairnsdale by developing a Digital Entrepreneurs Hub. The focus of this project is to support (a) people who are
working in inherently digital jobs (e.g. web site design); and (b) people whose work is underpinned by digital
platforms (e.g. industrial design for international clients). The program has an already developed eco-system that
will support:
• enabled access to reliable, high speed digital infrastructure
• facilitating networks between digital entrepreneurs and local, influential business leaders
• linking businesses with innovative digital workers who can contribute to business solution design and
implementation
• linking workers with city-based entrepreneurs to build broader networks and maintain knowledge of
relevant and leading-edge thinking
• implementing a platform that raises broader community aspirations for technical innovation.
17 Halsey Independent Review into Regional, Rural and Remote Education 2018
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 13 of 18
Further challenges to be addressed include:
• sourcing resources to pilot the business model as a proof of concept
• implementing a business model that will ensure the sustainability for the regional entrepreneurial eco-
system so that there is a demonstrable uplift in sustainable employment for ‘digital’ workers
• increasing regional interest (aspiration) from young workers in industries that are innovating, including
engineering and agriculture.
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 14 of 18
Appendix 1: Top three employing industries by township
WELLINGTON Top 3 industries % employment B
riag
alo
ng
Go
lden
Bea
ch
He
yfie
ld
Loch
Sp
ort
Maf
fra
Po
rt A
lbe
rt
Ro
sed
ale
Sale
Stra
tfo
rd
Wu
rru
k
Yar
ram
Retail Trade 17.2 21.9 26.0 13.0 17.0 24.0
Health Care & Social Assistance 14.1 16.1 22.7 17.2 26.4 20.3 25.2 14.2 13.3 22.8
Manufacturing 28.4 11.1 9.8
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 28.5 15.7 14.8 26.7 14.4 31.5
Construction 9.8 12.5
Education & Training 14.5
Public Administration & Safety 16.1 Accommodation & Food Service 19.5 19.8 23.3 13.1
EAST GIPPSLAND Top 3 industries % employment B
airn
sdal
e
Bru
then
Can
n R
iver
Lake
Tye
rs
Lake
s En
tran
ce
Lin
den
ow
Mal
laco
ota
Met
un
g
Om
eo
Orb
ost
Pay
nes
ville
Retail Trade 15.7 16.9 12.9 15.1 9.6 37.2
Health Care & Social Assistance 26.7 15.5 19.2 26.8 14.3 11.3 13.3 17.6 37.4 60.0
Manufacturing 13.7 13.7
Agriculture, Forestry & Fishing 15.8 12.6
Construction 13.0
Education & Training 11.9 14.1 15.2 13.1 17.6 40.5
Public Administration & Safety
Accommodation & Food Service 22.5 30.3 15.2 19.1 17.6 13.5
Key
1st largest employing industry
2nd largest employing industry
3rd largest employing industry
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 15 of 18
Appendix 2: Gippsland East local VET (Feb. 2019) by top 5 employing industries
Health Care and Social Assistance Jobs: 4,893 Output: $591m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Health care
Cert III Allied Health Assistance X -
Cert IV Allied Health Assistance X Morwell
Cert III Dental Assisting X -
Cert IV Dental Assisting X -
Cert IV Massage Therapy Practice Traralgon
Dip Nursing X Bairnsdale
Dip Remedial Massage Traralgon
Social assistance
Cert III Community Services X Traralgon
Cert III Individual Support X Bairnsdale
Cert III Non-Emergency Patient Transport Morwell
Cert IV Alcohol and Other Drugs X Traralgon
Cert IV Ageing Support X - Cert IV Child, Youth and Family Intervention X -
Cert IV Community Services X Bairnsdale
Cert IV Disability X Warragul
Cert IV Leisure and Health Warragul
Cert IV Mental Health X Bairnsdale
Cert IV in Youth Work X -
Dip Community Services X Traralgon
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing Jobs: 4,182 Output: $1,348m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Agriculture
Cert II Agriculture X Online
Cert III Agriculture X Online
Cert III Agriculture (Dairy Production) X Online
Cert IV Agriculture X Online
Dip Agriculture Online
Animal Studies
Cert II Animal Studies Bairnsdale
Cert III Companion Animal Services Warragul
Conservation and Land Management
Cert III Conservation and Land Management Forestec Dip Conservation and Land Management Forestec
Horticulture
Cert II Horticulture X Bairnsdale Sale (GTEC)
Cert II Production Nursery X -
Cert II Production Horticulture Bairnsdale
Cert III Horticulture X Bairnsdale
Cert IV Horticulture Bairnsdale
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 16 of 18
Retail Trade Jobs: 3,812 Output: $422m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Cert II Retail Services -
Construction Jobs: 3,501 Output: $1,683m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Building and Construction
Cert II Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship (Bricklaying) X Yallourn
Cert II Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship (Carpentry) X Bairnsdale
Cert II Building and Construction Pre-apprenticeship (Painting and Decorating)
X Yallourn
Cert II Construction Pathways X Bairnsdale
Cert II Glass and Glazing X -
Cert II Plumbing (Pre-apprenticeship) X Yallourn
Cert III Bricklaying/Blocklaying Bairnsdale
Cert III Carpentry Bairnsdale Sale (Fulham)
Cert III Carpentry and Joinery Bairnsdale
Cert III Concreting X -
Cert III Construction Waterproofing X -
Cert III Joinery Bairnsdale
Cert III Painting and Decorating Yallourn Cert III Plumbing Bairnsdale
Cert IV Building and Construction (Building) X Yallourn
Cert IV Plumbing and Services X Bairnsdale
Cert IV Plumbing Operations X -
Dip Building and Construction (Building) X -
Adv Dip Building Surveying X -
Civil Construction
Cert III Civil Construction X Yallourn
Cert III Civil Construction Plant Operations Yallourn
Cert IV Civil Construction Supervision X Bairnsdale
Education and Training Jobs: 3,037 Output: $378m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Cert III Early Childhood Education and Care Bairnsdale
Cert III Education Support X Bairnsdale
Cert IV Education Support X Bairnsdale
Dip Early Childhood Education and Care Bairnsdale
Dip School Age Education and Care Yallourn
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 17 of 18
Accommodation and Food Services Jobs: 2,689 Output: $395m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Cookery
Cert II Baking X -
Cert II Kitchen Operations Bairnsdale Cert III Commercial Cookery X Bairnsdale
Cert IV Commercial Cookery Bairnsdale
Hospitality
Cert II in Hospitality -
Cert III Hospitality Bairnsdale
Cert III Hospitality (Restaurant Front of House) X Workplace
Cert IV Hospitality Morwell
Tourism
Cert III Tourism X Bairnsdale
Public Administration and Safety Jobs: 2,563 Output: $628m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Dip Justice X -
Manufacturing Jobs: 2,340 Output: 1,471m
COURSE TAFE VIC FREE 2019
TAFE Gippsland Closest campus
Engineering
Cert II Engineering Pathways X Sale (Fulham)
Cert II Engineering Studies X -
Cert III Engineering (Computer Aided Manufacture) Yallourn
Cert III Engineering (Fabrication trade) Sale (Fulham)
Cert III Engineering (Mechanical trade) Sale (Fulham)
Cert IV Engineering X Yallourn
Cert IV Engineering (Fabrication perform welding supervision) Sale (Fulham)
Cert IV Engineering (Heavy Fabrication) - Furniture Making
Cert II Furniture Making X Bairnsdale
Cert III Cabinet Making Bairnsdale Sale (Fulham)
Food Processing
Cert II Meat Processing (Food Services) X -
Signage
Cert II Signage and Graphics X -
GIPPSLAND EAST LLEN: INQUIRY INTO SUSTAINABLE EMPLOYMENT FOR DISADVANTAGED JOBSEEKERS
Page 18 of 18
Appendix 3. Gippsland East access to tertiary education
CITY SECONDARY
SCHOOLS 2018
TAFE GIPPSLAND CAMPUSES
FEDERATION UNIVERSITY
Melbourne Bairnsdale Sale Traralgon Yallourn Churchill
West to East along the Princes Highway
Rosedale 186 km 2.09 hr
Sale College 768 students
94 km 1.06 hr
29 km 0.24hr
24 km 0.20 hr
49 km 0.37 hr
45 km 0.34 hr
Sale 216 km 2.32 hr
Sale College 768 students
Catholic College Sale
791 students Gippsland
Grammar (P-12) 959 students
68 km 0.50 hr
54 km 0.43 hr
75 km 0.56 hr
74 km 0.56 hr
Stratford 230 km 2.39 hr
Maffra SC 548 students
51 km 0.36 hr
17 km 0.16 hr
68 km 0.51 hr
89 km 1.03 hr
88 km 1.04 hr
Bairnsdale 282 km 3.18 hr
Bairnsdale SC 1,151 students Nagle College 773 students
68 km 0.51 hr
119 km 1.28 hr
139 km 1.40 hr
139 km 1.38 hr
Lakes Entrance
319 km 3.53 hr
Lakes Entrance SC 236 students
39 km 0.39 hr
106 km 1.26 hr
156 km 2.03 hr
177 km 2.15 hr
177 km 2.12 hr
Orbost 373 km 4.20 hr
Orbost SC 232 students
92 km 1.05 hr
159 km 1.53 hr
210 km 2.32 hr
230 km 2.42 hr
230 km 2.40 hr
Cann River 446 km 5.09 hr
Cann River P-12 45 students
165 km 1.54 hr
232 km 2.42 hr
282 3.19 hr
303 km 3.31 hr
303 km 3.29 hr
Mallacoota 515 km 6.03 hr
Mallacoota SC 122 students
234 km 2.49 hr
301 km 3.36 hr
352 km 4.13 hr
373 km 4.25 hr
372 km 4.24 hr
North to South
Omeo 400 m 4.44 hr
Swifts Creek P-12 126 students
121 km 1.35 hr
188 km 2.21 hr
239 km 2.56 hr
259 km 3.09 hr
259 km 3.11 hr
Swifts Creek
377 km 4.28 hr
Swifts Creek P-12 126 students
97 km 1.19 hr
164 km 2.05 hr
215 km 2.40 hr
236 km 2.53 hr
235 km 2.55 hr
Maffra 222 km 2.34 hr
Maffra SC 548 students
63 km 0.46 hr
19 km 0.17 hr
60 km 0.45 hr
79 km 0.58 hr
80 km 0.59 hr
Yarram 221 km 2.31 hr
Yarram SC 292 students
140 km 1.38 hr
74 km 0.51 hr
65 km 0.47 hr
84 km 1.0 hr
75 km 0.57 hr