Older employees are likely to be more loyal and stay in the retail sector long term, new research by UK-based Skillsmart Retail has suggested. A survey by the Sector Skills Council into the attitude of retail workers found that, although one third of the retail workforce is under 25, employees in their 30s, 40s and 50s saw their jobs as much more permanent than other workers. The results have sparked Skillsmart Retail to take on a larger piece of research investigating the importance of older... ...Read more »

The ARA Retail Institute is offering free training to industry newcomers and canvassing host employers to provide on-the-job training under the Federal Government’s Productivity Places scheme in a bid to attract more people to the retail industry. The Federal Government’s Department of Education Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has funded the ARA’s Retail Employment Pathways program in response to industry pleas for more skilled workers. Under the initiative, DEEWR’s... ...Read more »

Victorian Premier John Brumby today unveiled a $316 million overhaul of the training sector which, it is hoped, will help deal with the skills shortage. Under the biggest investment in Victoria’s history to the state’s training sector, 172,000 extra Government-supported training places will be created and, in a landmark deal with the Commonwealth, university-style loans will be made available to students studying diploma and advanced diploma qualifications. Premier John Brumby... ...Read more »

The Australian Government will implement a pilot program to trial the National Farmers’ Federation’s (NFF’s) Workforce from Abroad Employment Scheme - yesterday approving a new Pacific Island seasonal workers visa in key horticultural regions. The announcement has been warmly welcomed by NFF Vice-President Charles Burke, who co-launched the program with Agriculture Minister Tony Burke at the Marrickville Fruit and Vegetable Markets in Sydney today. “The Government and NFF’s... ...Read more »

A new community kitchen, which assists in boosting the number of skilled hospitality workers while also helping disadvantaged members of the community, was opened today by Victorian Premier John Brumby.The kitchen - an initiative of Youth Projects Incorporated, a not-for-profit body funded by Victorian, Commonwealth and local government grants - will provide training opportunities in hospitality and health promotion while also providing food for disadvantaged people in the local community. Mr Brumby... ...Read more »

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Senator Chris Evans, yesterday released new data showing a 27 per cent increase in the temporary skilled migration (subclass 457 visa) program for 2007-08. Senator Evans said the rise in the subclass 457 visa grants highlighted the importance of the program in delivering skilled labour to employers across a wide range of professions and industries. The largest increase was, not surprisingly, seen in Western Australia where the mining boom has... ...Read more »

Small Business Minister Margaret Quirk said today that she was relieved that the Rudd Government had recognised the State’s migration needs by committing to develop a migration plan for Western Australia. West Australia’s mining related boom has left many businesses struggling to find suitable staff and the situation has been particularly noticeable in the foodservice industry. “A range of migration options tailored for WA is long overdue and we welcome working with the Federal... ...Read more »

Australia’s skills crisis is becoming more evident by the day with fast-food giants McDonald’s and KFC forced to use the ‘457′ skilled visa program to recruit staff in Queensland.The ‘457′ visa, which is currently under review by the Rudd Government, is the most commonly used program for employers to sponsor skilled overseas recruits to work in Australia and allows for a stay of between three months and four years. McDonald’s Queensland regional manager Andrew... ...Read more »

In a bid to ease Western Australia’s tourism and hospitality labour shortage, an innovative new online campaign aims to attract young working holidaymakers from the United Kingdom. It features a dedicated jobs website allowing young UK residents to browse WA job opportunities and send their resume directly to local employers before leaving home. Tourism Minister Sheila McHale said the campaign was designed to capitalise on young Britons’ keen interest in WA, and their ability... ...Read more »

Australian chefs are in demand and, with suitable chefs becoming harder to find, their wages could keep on rising. Over 200 advertisements for chefs have been added to job website Seek in the past three days alone and a further 450 for other positions in restaurants and cafes, with the industry one of the hardest hit by the skills shortage. Currently, the highest number of jobs available (according to Seek) is in Melbourne, as a seemingly endless stream of new cafes and restaurants open; putting... ...Read more »