REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLAN QUEENSLAND - GOLD COAST 2012 - 2014 JULY 2013

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REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLAN QUEENSLAND - GOLD COAST 2012 - 2014 JULY 2013
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REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLAN

 QUEENSLAND – GOLD COAST
 2012 – 2014
 JULY 2013
REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLAN QUEENSLAND - GOLD COAST 2012 - 2014 JULY 2013
This plan was first published in July 2012. This is the July 2013 edition.
Details in this report are correct at time of drafting.
This report can be found at the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage (www.deewr.gov.au/resj) or the
My Region website (www.myregion.gov.au).
For more information about this plan, please contact:
The Office of Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
GPO Box 9880
Canberra ACT 2601
Email: oresj@deewr.gov.au
ISBN:
978-0-642-78645-6 [PDF]
978-0-642-78646-3 [DOCX]

With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted all material presented in this
document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/).
The details of the relevant licence conditions (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode) are
available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the
CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
The document must be attributed as the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan 2012-14 – Gold Coast.
Disclaimer about data used in this plan
Data used in the development of this plan comes from a variety of sources and was correct at time of drafting. This
document should not be used as a data source as data referred to may have been updated or reformulated since
the publication of the plan. Refer to primary sources for confirmation of data.

                                                                    Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 2
                                                                                                 www.deewr.gov.au/resj
REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLAN QUEENSLAND - GOLD COAST 2012 - 2014 JULY 2013
CONTENTS
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans ................................................................................ 4
Map of Gold Coast .................................................................................................................. 5
Executive summary ................................................................................................................ 6
Characteristics of the region ................................................................................................... 9
   Population ................................................................................................................................................. 9

   Early childhood education and care.......................................................................................................... 9

   School education ..................................................................................................................................... 10

   Tertiary education and training .............................................................................................................. 11

   Jobs, skills and workforce development ................................................................................................. 11

   Other characteristics ............................................................................................................................... 12

Issues, goals and strategies ................................................................................................... 13
   Issue 1 There is a need to increase sustainable employment and training opportunities for
   Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. .................................................................................. 14

   Issue 2 Improving youth attainment in the region, especially with regard to school retention, and
   transition from school to employment or further education and training............................................. 16

   Issue 3 Training opportunities on the Gold Coast do not always reflect the needs of job seekers with
   learning difficulties.................................................................................................................................. 17

   Issue 4 The need for effective workforce planning to develop and diversify the economic base of the
   region and capitalise on growing industries. .......................................................................................... 18

   Issue 5 There are a significant number of apprentices from the Gold Coast region registered on the
   ‘Out-of-Trade’ register. ........................................................................................................................... 20

   Issue 6       Actively pursue opportunities being created in the resources sector throughout Queensland.
                 ................................................................................................................................................. 21

Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 22
   Appendix A — Stakeholders.................................................................................................................... 22

   Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies ............................................................................... 23

Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 25

                                                                                              Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 3
                                                                                                                                    www.deewr.gov.au/resj
REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLANS
The Australian Government announced the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative in the
2011–12 Budget, as part of the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package. The initiative addresses
four key areas of the Australian Government’s productivity and social inclusion agendas: early childhood
education and care; Year 12 attainment; participation in vocational and higher education; and local job
opportunities.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has deployed 34 Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs (RESJ) Coordinators to work with local stakeholders to develop Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs Plans for the 46 Regional Development Australia (RDA) areas that cover non-
metropolitan Australia.
The plans present locally identified opportunities and challenges and outline local strategies to improve
education, skills and jobs outcomes in regional Australia.
For more information, including the contact details of your local RESJ Coordinator, please refer to the
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage at www.deewr.gov.au/resj.

Strategies
Each plan reflects community priorities and includes goals and local strategies to achieve the
community’s objectives, based on four key themes: early childhood education and care; school
education; tertiary education and training; and jobs, skills and workforce development.
The plans build on the range of services and programs already offered by DEEWR and the strategies draw
on the programs of other government agencies and the opportunities arising from major local projects.

Community engagement
The plans were developed by RESJ Coordinators with close community engagement and include views
from young people, parents, employers, educators, service providers, peak bodies, community leaders,
government organisations and agencies, and other interested individuals and organisations. The plans
draw strongly upon existing strategic plans in each region, including the local RDA regional plan.
DEEWR acknowledges the traditional owners of the Gold Coast RDA region and their elders past and
present recognising their continuing connection to country. This plan strives to build and harness
mutually respectful relationships and reflect community priorities in education, skills and jobs
development for the region.

Implementation
The RESJ Coordinator, on behalf of DEEWR, will oversee the implementation of the strategies and
promote and coordinate linkages between the government agencies, providers and stakeholders
involved in this plan’s implementation.
Progress towards achieving the goals within each plan will be closely monitored, while stakeholders will
be kept informed through participation in plan strategies.
This edition incorporates strategies that respond to changes in local circumstances identified through
continuing community input or changing government priorities in regional Australia as well as access to
new data. The plans continue to be living and responsive documents that will be revisited throughout
their implementation to June 2014.

                                                             Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 4
                                                                                          www.deewr.gov.au/resj
MAP OF GOLD COAST

Source: Department of Regional Australia, Local Government, Arts and Sport

                                                                        Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 5
                                                                                                     www.deewr.gov.au/resj
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Gold Coast Regional Development Australia (RDA) region is located 80 kilometres south of the
Queensland state capital of Brisbane and covers the single Local Government Area of Gold Coast City
Council.

Covering an area of 1400 square kilometres, the city’s boundaries extend from Yatala in the north, down
to Coolangatta and the New South Wales border. Gold Coast City encompasses South Stradbroke Island
and part of Moreton Bay, extending west to the hinterland of Mount Tamborine and the Lamington and
Darlington Ranges.

The sunny subtropical climate, surfing beaches, canals and waterway systems combined with the high-
rise skyline of Surfers Paradise, nightlife and rainforest hinterland, make the Gold Coast one of
Australia’s major tourist destinations.

The Gold Coast region has a RDA Committee with a Regional Roadmap including education, skills and
employment opportunities. RDA Gold Coast has identified the following three short-term priorities:

       promote and enhance job creation

       strengthen the community and foster civic pride

       enhance the lifestyle and environment.

This Regional Education, Skills and Jobs (RESJ) Plan complements the existing goals and strategies in the
RDA Roadmap.

A comprehensive environmental scan and community consultations have been carried out to identify the
key education, skills and jobs challenges for the region. The challenges include:

       the need to increase sustainable employment and training opportunities for Aboriginal and
        Torres Strait Islander Australians

       the need for effective workforce planning to develop and diversify the economic base of the
        region and capitalise on growing industries

       the need to actively pursue opportunities being created in the mining sector throughout
        Queensland

       the scope for improvement with youth attainment in the region, especially with regard to
        retention in school, and transition from school to employment or further education and training

       the significant number of apprentices from the Gold Coast region registered on the Queensland
        Government’s ‘Out-of-Trade’ register

       training opportunities available in the Gold Coast region do not always reflect the needs of job
        seekers with learning difficulties.

                                                             Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 6
                                                                                          www.deewr.gov.au/resj
The key goals of the RESJ Plan are to:

       enable the region’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to participate in the
        development of, and benefit from, targeted strategies that aim to deliver on the Governments’
        Closing the Gap targets

       increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians working in the early
        childhood and child care industry

       increase the number of people training in areas of skills shortages and industry growth

       identify and support strategies to assist Gold Coast businesses and residents capitalise on
        opportunities emerging from Queensland’s expanding resources sector

       support the establishment of regional partnerships and strategies that enable effective and
        tailored school retention and work transition options for students

       identify and promote opportunities to assist apprentices to complete their trade qualifications

       encourage the development of tailored vocational training packages to increase participation
        amongst people with learning difficulties.

Some outcomes achieved by the RESJ Coordinator working with local stakeholders include:

       Assisting a national employer to develop its 10 year Workforce Development Strategy and
        Indigenous Employment Plan to address growth within the company, including an Australian
        Government Skills Connect project. This project, developed in partnership with the Construction
        and Property Services Industry Skills Council and supported by the Ipswich Logan Local
        Employment Coordinator, local registered training organisations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait
        Islander support services, will provide funding to train existing and new workers. There is a
        potential for 3000 new jobs in the construction and manufacturing industries through this
        project.

       Collaborating with key stakeholders to ensure funding was available to deliver short skill set
        courses across a number of industries including aged care, commercial laundry, housekeeping,
        cookery and children’s services, which has led to 150 people being placed into employment.

       Pursuing opportunities in the resources sector by supporting the new Gold Coast City Council’s
        Industry Engagement Officer (Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) Coordinator) through their introduction to key
        stakeholders and collaboration on a workforce development strategy. The RESJ Coordinator has
        also worked with Resource Link Gold Coast to implement the FIFO Coordinator’s building
        capacity strategy by:

            o   promoting the establishment of the Gold Coast Airport Terminal 2 as a potential FIFO
                hub to leaders of the resources sector and airlines,

            o   building the capacity of Gold Coast businesses to become part of the supply chain to the
                resources sector, and

            o   promoting the potential labour source located in the region.

                                                             Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 7
                                                                                          www.deewr.gov.au/resj
   Facilitating a workshop, in conjunction with the Queensland Government Department of
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs, with providers of Indigenous
    services to discuss the needs of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and identify
    avenues to increase employment opportunities. As a result, communication channels have been
    established to support the timely dissemination of information on Australian Government
    initiatives and local opportunities. Two projects are also being developed utilising the Australian
    Apprenticeship Access Program and Australian Government Skills Connect to create 2400 jobs
    for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.

   Facilitating a Jobs and Information Workshop for Queensland Workers which provided
    70 redundant Queensland public servants with information regarding the local labour market,
    assistance available from the Department of Human Services and professional recruitment
    advice from a local Job Services Australia (JSA) provider.

   Facilitating a Gold Coast forum, in partnership with the Department of Human Services, to create
    linkages between JSA and Disability Employment Services (DES) providers and local Aboriginal
    and Torres Strait Islander community organisations to encourage the provision of wrap around
    services to address employment barriers and increase employment outcomes in the region.

                                                          Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 8
                                                                                       www.deewr.gov.au/resj
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION
This section sets out the characteristics of the region identified through a comprehensive environmental
scan and local consultations. The information detailed in this section is not exhaustive of the
characteristics of the region, but provides an overview and insight to some of the challenges facing the
region.

To guide the RESJ Coordinator’s identification of issues and engagement with the community, various
data sets have supported the development of this plan. Data used in the development of this plan was
sourced from DEEWR, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) and other relevant sources. Data referred
to may have been reformulated and was correct at time of drafting. Different data sets are refreshed at
different intervals, for example, unemployment rates are updated monthly for national and
state/territory figures and quarterly for regions.

Population
The Gold Coast is home to 513,954 people, approximately 1.3 per cent (6196) of whom identify as being
from Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background (2011 Census).

Two Aboriginal tribes traditionally inhabited the Gold Coast region, the Kombumerris who lived mainly in
the Bundall area, and the Yugambeh people who lived on Mount Cougal and the Springbrook valleys
(Australian Information Centres).

According to ABS data, 65.2 per cent of the Gold Coast population were born in Australia, with other
residents migrating from mainly English-speaking countries (North-West Europe 9.3% and Oceania and
Antarctica (excluding Australia) 8.7%).

Early childhood education and care
The early childhood education and care sector includes public, private for-profit and community-based
service providers and includes preschools, occasional care, family day care, long day care and outside
school hours care services.

The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) measures young children’s development across five
domains: physical health and well-being; social competence; emotional maturity; school-based language
and cognitive skills; and general knowledge. 2009 AEDI data indicated that, at a national level,
23.6 per cent of children were vulnerable on one or more domain and 11.8 per cent were vulnerable on
two or more domains. The AEDI found that in the Gold Coast RDA region, the community of Gold Coast
East had the lowest proportions of vulnerable children for the region, falling below the national rate for
one or more domain, and just above the national rate for two or more domains. However, the AEDI
community of Gold Coast surrounds had the highest proportions of vulnerable children—more than
three per cent higher than the national averages on both measures.

                                                             Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 9
                                                                                          www.deewr.gov.au/resj
In January 2012, the Australian Government introduced the National Quality Framework for Early
Childhood Education and Care. The national approach to regulation and quality assessment processes,
including increasing the number of educators to educate and care for children, and the enhanced
educator qualification requirements will, over time, have a positive influence on the AEDI results for the
Gold Coast region.

One of the key priorities of the Queensland Government’s Early Childhood Education and Care
Workforce Action Plan 2011–2014 is to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child care and early
childhood workers. In partnership with the Queensland Government, this RESJ Plan includes strategies to
achieve this priority which may positively influence developmental results for Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander children in the Gold Coast region through the provision of culturally relevant early childhood
services.

School education
The Gold Coast region has a number of education choices for school age children including government,
private and independent schools. In 2009, there were 29,988 students attending a government primary
school (Years 1 to 7) and 15,361 students attending a non-government primary school in the Gold Coast
City Local Government Area. In secondary school (Years 8 to 12) there were 18,315 government students
and 11,218 non-government students. As part of the Queensland Government’s education reform, from
2015 Year 7 will become the first year in high school.

In the 2011 Census, 57.7 per cent of Gold Coast residents (aged 15 years and over) stated their highest
level of schooling was Year 11 or 12 or equivalent. This compares to 55.3 per cent in Queensland.

A recent analysis of the 2012 Next Step survey by the Queensland Government Department of Education,
Training and Employment found that in the Gold Coast region:

       the majority of Year 12 completers (90.0%) were studying or in paid employment
       further study was a common destination for Year 12 completers, with 64.2 per cent continuing in
        some recognised form of education or training in the year after they left school
       students undertaking a university degree accounted for 41.1 per cent of all Year 12 completers in
        the region. A further 8.1 per cent of Year 12 completers deferred a tertiary offer in 2011
       23.1 per cent of all Gold Coast Year 12 completers were studying vocational education and
        training (VET)
       employment-based training accounted for 9.0 per cent of Year 12 completers in this region,
        either in apprenticeships (6.1%) or traineeships (2.8%)
       35.8 per cent did not enter post-school education or training, and were either employed (25.8%),
        seeking work (8.1%) or not in the labour force, education or training (1.8%).

Increasing education participation and improving transition to work outcomes for young Australians are
the key objectives of the Council of Australian Governments National Partnership Agreement on Youth
Attainment.

The Australian Government funds the School Business Community Partnership Brokers Program focussed
on building partnerships to support young people to attain Year 12 or equivalent qualifications and reach
their full educational and social potential. The Gold Coast region has an active School Business
Community Partnership Broker being The Smith Family Partnership Brokers.

                                                             Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 10
                                                                                           www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Tertiary education and training
Gold Coast City has over 400 education and training providers, including four universities, several
research centres and a number of internationally recognised training institutes.

At the time of the 2011 Census, 56.2 per cent of people aged over 15 residing in the Gold Coast region
had post-school qualifications. This is higher than the Queensland rate of 54.2 per cent.

Of people aged 15 years and over with a qualification, 25.4 per cent had a bachelor degree or higher
(29.3% in Queensland as a whole), 15.6 per cent had an advanced diploma or diploma (13.9% in
Queensland as a whole), and 36.8 per cent had a certificate (36.6% in Queensland as a whole).

Community consultation has identified that there are limited vocational training opportunities
specifically tailored for people with learning difficulties. There is an opportunity therefore to develop
strategies that will assist people with learning difficulties to access flexible skills training with additional
learning support.

Jobs, skills and workforce development
Traditionally the Gold Coast has enjoyed a thriving economy, with a booming construction, boat building,
hospitality and tourism industry, and high workforce participation. The impact of the global financial
crisis and the strengthening of the Australian dollar had a significant impact on the region in recent
years. However, the ABS Labour Force Survey data indicates that, as at December 2012, the
unemployment rate in the Gold Coast region was 5.0 per cent, lower than both the Queensland rate
(5.8%) and Australian rate (5.1%).

At the time of the 2011 Census, the unemployment rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
aged 15 years and over on the Gold Coast was 16.3 per cent. This was more than double the rate for non-
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people (7.3%) and leads to social and economic disadvantage. This
indicates a need to work at a local level to achieve the Australian Governments’ Closing the Gap targets
and improve the lives of these residents.

Community feedback is that the downturn in the construction industry across the region continues to
have an impact on employment and that, where work is available, vacancies are often being filled by
workers from outside the region. Additionally, the downturn has resulted in a large number of
apprentices now out of work and registered with the ‘Out of Trade Register’ funded by the Queensland
Government Department of Education, Training and Employment.

Skill shortages occur typically in growth periods when skilled workers are already employed and industry
cannot find the labour it needs. An analysis commissioned by the Gold Coast City Council in 2006 showed
that skill shortages existed predominantly in the construction and health related occupations. At the
time there were also widespread shortages in the marine industry. With the impact of the global
financial crisis and the slowing of the construction and boat building industries, skills shortages still exist
in these specialised areas but there are limited employment opportunities available.

                                                                Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 11
                                                                                              www.deewr.gov.au/resj
This RESJ Plan focuses on growth industries and common skill shortages across Queensland identified by
DEEWR, such as community services and health care, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
workers, trades and the mining sector. Over recent years, opportunities for both professional and skilled
workers have evolved across a number of industries servicing the resources sector. The Gold Coast City
Council, Queensland Government and Australian Government are working together to prepare
employment pathways into this industry, consistent with the National Resource Sector Workforce
Strategy, through employment expos, training and FIFO connections.

Following the Queensland Government’s decision in July 2012 to cease funding for labour market
programs, a number of strategies in this plan have been amended to remove reliance on partnering or
leveraging those former programs.

Other characteristics
The Gold Coast will be hosting the 2018 Commonwealth Games and stakeholders including the state and
local governments expect significant benefits to flow to the local economy. This plan will seek to
maximise local employment and training opportunities that arise from this opportunity.

                                                            Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 12
                                                                                          www.deewr.gov.au/resj
ISSUES, GOALS AND STRATEGIES
This section sets out the issues and goals identified through local consultation. It also details the specific
strategies that will help achieve the community’s objectives. The issues and strategies will be reviewed
and may be modified throughout the implementation of the plan to June 2014 to ensure they respond to
emerging issues and opportunities or changing community or government priorities in the Gold Coast
RDA region.
The programs and stakeholders listed in the following tables are indicative only. Both may vary over time
and any listing does not guarantee either the availability of program funding or stakeholder involvement.

Colour codes indicate how each issue relates to the four key themes of the Regional Education, Skills and
Jobs Plans initiative:

                   Early childhood education and care

                   School education

                   Tertiary education and training

                   Jobs, skills and workforce development

The numbering of each issue is for ease of reference only and does not indicate its priority within the
region. They are generally sequenced according to the life cycle of the four key themes listed above.

                                                              Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 13
                                                                                            www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 1             There is a need to increase sustainable employment and
                    training opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
                    Australians.
Goal:               To enable the region’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to participate
                    in the development of, and benefit from, targeted strategies that aim to deliver on
                    the Governments’ Closing the Gap targets.
    Early childhood education                                   Tertiary education and          Jobs, skills and workforce
                                     School education
              and care                                                  training                       development
Strategies                                                  Stakeholders                    Programs
      Seek opportunities to establish new projects under       Australian                      Australian
       Australian Government Skills Connect, the                 Apprenticeship Access            Apprenticeship Access
       Australian Apprenticeship Access Program and              Brokers                          Program
       Indigenous Employment Program (IEP) that are             Corporate Culcha                Australian
       targeted to future employment growth areas.              Deadly Solutions Pty             Government Skills
      Work alongside the Indigenous Youth Career                Ltd                              Connect
       Pathways (IYCP) providers in their progression of        Department of                   DES
       traineeships for Aboriginal and Torres Strait             Aboriginal and Torres           IEP
       Islander school students, particularly in areas of        Strait Islander and             IYCP
       skills shortages.                                         Multicultural Affairs           JSA
      Explore opportunities for employment programs             (Qld)
       identified at the ‘Indigenous All Stars Career and       Department of
       Employment Expo’.                                         Education, Training
                                                                 and Employment
                                                                 (Qld)
                                                                Department of
                                                                 Human Services
                                                                Department of
                                                                 Industry, Innovation,
                                                                 Climate Change,
                                                                 Science, Research and
                                                                 Tertiary Education
                                                                Disability Employment
                                                                 Services (DES)
                                                                 providers
                                                                IEP panel members
                                                                Industry Skills
                                                                 Councils
                                                                IYCP providers
                                                                Job Services Australia
                                                                 (JSA) providers
                                                                Pearls MiiHome
                                                                School Business
                                                                 Community
                                                                 Partnership Brokers

                                                                   Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 14
                                                                                                   www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Goal:               Increase the number of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians working
                    in the early childhood and child care industry.
    Early childhood education                                     Tertiary education and          Jobs, skills and workforce
              and care                                                    training                       development
Strategies                                                    Stakeholders                    Programs
      Identify partnering organisations to:                      Australian                      Australian
       o maximise potential training and employment                Apprenticeship Access            Apprenticeship Access
            pathways for new Aboriginal and Torres Strait          Brokers                          Program
            Islander early childhood workers                      Community Services              Australian
       o upskill existing workers to Certificate III or            and Health Industry              Government Skills
            diploma-level qualifications                           Skills Council                   Connect
       o promote Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)              Deadly Solutions Pty            DES
            Assessment Tools and Grants                            Ltd                             Inclusion and
       o promote Australian Government Skills Connect             Department of                    Professional Support
            and the Australian Apprenticeship Access               Aboriginal and Torres            Program
            Program, and explore potential opportunities           Strait Islander and             Indigenous Youth
            for use.                                               Multicultural Affairs            Career Pathways
      Partner with Indigenous organisations and industry          (Qld)                           JSA
       to identify strategies that will increase the number       Department of                   RPL Assessment Tools
       of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workers in         Education, Training              and Grants
       the child care industry.                                    and Employment
                                                                   (Qld)
                                                                  Department of
                                                                   Human Services
                                                                  Department of
                                                                   Industry, Innovation,
                                                                   Climate Change,
                                                                   Science, Research and
                                                                   Tertiary Education
                                                                  Disability Employment
                                                                   Services (DES)
                                                                   providers
                                                                  Early childhood
                                                                   education and care
                                                                   services, including
                                                                   Goodstart Early
                                                                   Learning Centres
                                                                  Heath and
                                                                   Community Services
                                                                   Workforce Council
                                                                  Indigenous Youth
                                                                   Career Pathways
                                                                   (IYCP) providers
                                                                  Job Services Australia
                                                                   (JSA) providers
                                                                  School Business
                                                                   Community
                                                                   Partnership Brokers

                                                                     Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 15
                                                                                                     www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 2          Improving youth attainment in the region, especially with
                 regard to school retention, and transition from school to
                 employment or further education and training.
Goal:            To support the establishment of regional partnerships and strategies that enable
                 effective and tailored school retention and work transition options for students.
                                                                Tertiary education and           Jobs, skills and workforce
                                   School education
                                                                        training                        development
Strategies                                                  Stakeholders                     Programs
   Support the School Business Community Partnership           Department of                     Indigenous Youth
    Brokers to achieve their youth attainment and                Education, Training                Career Pathways
    transition strategies, including the production of an        and Employment                    School Business
    educational tool for parents and youth on                    (Qld) - Quality                    Community
    employment pathways.                                         Pathways Team                      Partnership Brokers
   Work alongside the Gold Coast City Council TechGC           Gold Coast City
    Steering Committee to support projects and                   Council
    initiatives that increase the number of students            RDA Gold Coast
    undertaking mathematics, science and technology             School Business
    subjects, by contributing knowledge of government            Community
    programs, funding and opportunities in the region.           Partnership Brokers
   Support the Queensland Government’s Quality
    Pathways Team in the development of strategies to
    increase the number of students transitioning from
    high school to higher education or employment in
    industries of high growth.

                                                                   Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 16
                                                                                                   www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 3          Training opportunities on the Gold Coast do not always reflect
                 the needs of job seekers with learning difficulties.
Goal:            Encourage the development of tailored training packages to increase
                 participation amongst people with learning difficulties and support their efforts to
                 gain sustainable employment.
                                                                 Tertiary education and           Jobs, skills and workforce
                                    School education
                                                                         training                        development
Strategies                                                   Stakeholders                     Programs
   Collaborate with the Queensland Government, local            Career Employment                 Australian
    employers, Job Services Australia (JSA) and Disability        Australia                          Government Skills
    Employment Services (DES) providers and training             Department of                      Connect
    providers to encourage the creation of                        Communities, Child                DES
    contextualised vocational training packages focused           Safety and Disability             JSA
    on key growth industries, including community and             Services (Qld)                    Skills for Education
    health services.                                             Department of                      and Employment
   Identify training organisations that offer flexible           Education, Training                formerly known as
    training packages and learning support specifically           and Employment                     Language, Literacy
    for people with learning difficulties and disseminate         (Qld)                              and Numeracy
    information to employment services providers and             Department of                      program
    other stakeholders in the region.                             Industry, Innovation,
                                                                  Climate Change,
                                                                  Science, Research and
                                                                  Tertiary Education
                                                                 DES providers
                                                                 Gold Coast Institute
                                                                  of TAFE
                                                                 JSA providers
                                                                 Life Without Barriers
                                                                 Registered training
                                                                  organisations

                                                                    Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 17
                                                                                                    www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 4          The need for effective workforce planning to develop and
                 diversify the economic base of the region and capitalise on
                 growing industries.
Goal:            Increase the number of people training in areas of skills shortages and industry
                 growth.
                                                                 Tertiary education and           Jobs, skills and workforce
                                    School education
                                                                         training                        development
Strategies                                                   Stakeholders                     Programs
   Work alongside industry skills bodies to develop a           Australian                        Australian
    skills’ needs analysis for the region to prioritise           Apprenticeship                     Apprenticeship
    training and employment programs in growth                    Access Brokers                     Access Program
    industries and areas of skills shortages, including          Construction Skills               Australian
    health and community care, engineering and                    Queensland                         Government Skills
    manufacturing.                                               Department of                      Connect
   Partner with regional stakeholders to develop an              Education, Training               DES
    overarching health alliance strategy to meet the              and Employment                    JSA
    workforce needs of the Gold Coast health precinct             (Qld)                             Skills for Education
    and link training to future workforce projections.           Department of                      and Employment
   Partner with the Queensland Government and Gold               Industry, Innovation,              formerly known as
    Coast City Council to target skills shortage areas and        Climate Change,                    Language, Literacy
    develop training utilising Australian and State               Science, Research and              and Numeracy
    Government funding and linking with employment                Tertiary Education                 program
    service providers to create employment pathways.             Disability
                                                                  Employment Services
                                                                  (DES) providers
                                                                 Gold Coast City
                                                                  Council
                                                                 Gold Coast Primary
                                                                  Care Partnership
                                                                  Council
                                                                 GoldLinQ
                                                                 Group Training
                                                                  Organisations
                                                                 Job Services Australia
                                                                  (JSA) providers
                                                                 Pearls MiiHome
                                                                 Queensland Health
                                                                  RDA Gold Coast

                                                                    Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 18
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Goal:            Identify opportunities to leverage off emerging large-scale and infrastructure
                 projects planned for the Gold Coast.
                                                               Tertiary education and           Jobs, skills and workforce
                                   School education
                                                                       training                        development
Strategies                                                 Stakeholders                     Programs
   Collaborate with all levels of government to               Australian                        Australian
    promote the use of local labour for large                   Apprenticeships                    Apprenticeships
    infrastructure projects.                                    Centres                           Australian
   Identify training opportunities to address workforce       Construction Skills                Government Skills
    planning models for known large-scale events and            Queensland                         Connect
    projects like the light rail.                              DETE (Qld)                        DES
   Liaise with Construction Skills Queensland to              Department of                     JSA
    identify infrastructure needs for the 2018                  Industry, Innovation,             Skills for Education
    Commonwealth Games and the potential                        Climate Change,                    and Employment
    employment, training and apprenticeship                     Science, Research and              formerly known as
    opportunities created, and collaborate with the             Tertiary Education                 Language, Literacy
    Queensland Department of Education, Training and           Disability                         and Numeracy
    Employment (DETE) to create training opportunities          Employment Services                program
    for job seekers.                                            (DES) providers
   Promote funding incentives for apprenticeships and         Gold Coast City
    traineeships to employers.                                  Council
                                                               Gold Coast Primary
                                                                Care Partnership
                                                                Council
                                                               GoldLinQ
                                                               Group Training
                                                                Organisations
                                                               Job Services Australia
                                                                (JSA) providers
                                                               Queensland Health
                                                               RDA Gold Coast
                                                               Pearls MiiHome

                                                                  Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 19
                                                                                                  www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 5          There are a significant number of apprentices from the Gold
                 Coast region registered on the ‘Out-of-Trade’ register.
Goal:            Identify and promote opportunities to assist apprentices to complete their trade
                 qualifications.
                                                                Tertiary education and           Jobs, skills and workforce
                                                                        training                        development
Strategies                                                  Stakeholders                     Programs
   Collaborate with the Queensland Government, local           Australian                        Australian
    employers, industry, Job Services Australia (JSA) and        Apprenticeships                    Apprenticeships
    Disability Employment Services (DES) providers to            Centres                           Australian
    maintain awareness of the ‘Out-of-Trade’ register           Connecting Southern                Government Skills
    (tradeapprentices.com.au).                                   Gold Coast                         Connect
   Identify channels for connecting Gold Coast                 Construction Skills
    apprentices to jobs in the resources sector and              Queensland
    other skill shortage areas across Queensland.               DETE (Qld)
   In collaboration with the Queensland Department of          Department of
    Education, Training and Employment (DETE),                   Industry, Innovation,
    encourage industry to accelerate apprentices’                Climate Change,
    competencies through Australian Government Skills            Science, Research and
    Connect.                                                     Tertiary Education
                                                                DES Providers
                                                                Gold Coast City
                                                                 Council
                                                                Group Training
                                                                 Association of
                                                                 Queensland and
                                                                 Northern Territory
                                                                 Inc.
                                                                Group training
                                                                 organisations
                                                                Industry skills bodies
                                                                JSA Providers
                                                                Pearls MiiHome
                                                                RDA Gold Coast

                                                                   Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 20
                                                                                                   www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 6          Actively pursue opportunities being created in the resources
                 sector throughout Queensland.
Goal:            Identify and support strategies to assist Gold Coast businesses and residents to
                 capitalise on opportunities emerging from Queensland’s resources sector.
                                                                  Tertiary education and           Jobs, skills and workforce
                                                                          training                        development
Strategies                                                    Stakeholders                     Programs
   Collaborate with the Industry Engagement Officer              Connecting Southern               Australian
    (Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO) Coordinator), local and state           Gold Coast                         Government Skills
    governments to support increased take up of FIFO              DETE (Qld)                         Connect
    opportunities on the Gold Coast.                              Department of                     DES
   In partnership with stakeholders such as the                   Human Services                    JSA
    Queensland Department of Education, Training and              Department of                     Resources Sector Jobs
    Employment (DETE), the Kinetic Group, Energy Skills            Industry, Innovation,              Board
    Queensland, Gold Coast City Council and Skills                 Climate Change,
    Queensland, identify potential training and                    Science, Research and
    employment opportunities for job seekers, including            Tertiary Education
    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This            Disability
    includes exploring the viability of a drilling and coal        Employment Services
    seam gas training project.                                     (DES) providers
   Collaborate with local and state governments to               Energy Skills
    identify support networks for the families of mining           Queensland
    workers.
                                                                  Gold Coast City
                                                                   Council
                                                                  Industry Engagement
                                                                   Officer (FIFO
                                                                   Coordinator)
                                                                  Job Services Australia
                                                                   (JSA) providers
                                                                  Kinetic Group
                                                                  RDA Gold Coast
                                                                  Resource Link Gold
                                                                   Coast

                                                                     Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 21
                                                                                                     www.deewr.gov.au/resj
APPENDICES
Appendix A — Stakeholders
Below is a list of organisations consulted during the development of this RESJ Plan, listed by sector.

 Stakeholders involved in the RESJ Plan development
 Sector                         Stakeholder
 Local government               Gold Coast City Council.

 State government               Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs;
                                Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disability Services; Department
                                of Education, Training and Employment (Qld); Department of Tourism, Major
                                Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games.

 Education                      Department of Education, Training and Employment (Qld).

 Vocational Education and
                                Department of Education, Training and Employment (Qld).
 Training

 Higher education               Griffith University.

 Youth                          Department of Education, Training and Employment (Qld); Gold Coast City
                                Council; School Business Community Partnership Brokers—The Smith Family.

 Employment                     Department of Education, Training and Employment (Qld); Disability
                                Employment Services providers; Job Services Australia providers; Industry Skills
                                Councils.

 Aboriginal and Torres Strait   Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and Multicultural Affairs;
 Islander organisations         Gold Coast Institute of TAFE—Indigenous Student Support; Kalwun
                                Development Corporation; Queensland Health—Indigenous Mental Health
                                Unit.

 Regional development           Regional Development Australia Gold Coast.

                                                                 Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 22
                                                                                               www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies
This section includes some of the related strategic plans in the region which have:

       influenced the direction of this RESJ Plan

       have complementary goals and strategies and/or

       have significance in the region in relation to education, skills and jobs.

It provides an overview of how each strategy or plan has had an impact on the RESJ Plan and how it may
be utilised to maximise outcomes.

                                                                             How it can be
 Plan or strategy                     Impact on RESJ Plan                      used/linked/expanded
 Regional Development Australia      The Regional Roadmap identifies        This RESJ Plan supports shared
 Gold Coast Regional Roadmap         three key priorities for the region.   priorities.
                                      promote and enhance job
                                         creation
                                      strengthen the community
                                         and foster civic pride
                                      enhance the lifestyle and
                                         environment.
 South East Queensland Regional      The plan suggests linkages with key    There are commonalities within
 Economic Development Plan           goals of economic development          the goals and strategies of this
 (Queensland Government)             through employment participation.      RESJ Plan and the Regional
                                                                            Economic Development Plan
                                                                            through its links to employment
                                                                            participation.
 National Partnership Agreement      These plans encompass existing         The School Business Community
 on Youth Attainment and             strategies relating to youth           Program Brokers strategic plan and
 Transitions—South East Region       attainment and transition.             overarching strategy provide a
                                                                            detailed collaborative plan with
 School Business Community                                                  key goals and strategies for
 Partnership Brokers Program and                                            increasing youth attainment and
 Department of Education, Training                                          transition into higher education or
 and Employment (Qld) overarching                                           employment.
 strategy                                                                   The Higher Aspirations Framework
                                                                            cements goals in this RESJ Plan in
 Gold Coast City Council—Higher                                             relation to industry engagement,
 Aspirations Framework                                                      skilling and employment pathways.
 Gold Coast City Council:            The documents outline:                 The documents will assist with the
  Economic development strategy      a community consultation             identification of future projects
  Local Area Plans                    process for economic                 leading to employment
  Corporate Plan 2009–2014 and        development                          opportunities with the creation of
   Bold Future strategy.              projected future growth              infrastructure and services.
                                       indicators                           They will foster a collaborative
                                      local government key long-term       relationship with local government
                                       objectives, goals and economic       to achieve key accountabilities
                                       development areas for the            within plans and support expected
                                       region.                              outcomes by identifying
                                                                            employment opportunities.

                                                                Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 23
                                                                                              www.deewr.gov.au/resj
 How it can be
Plan or strategy                     Impact on RESJ Plan                     used/linked/expanded
Early Childhood Education and       This plan outlines the Queensland     There are commonalities within
Care Workforce Action Plan 2011–    Government’s top priorities for the   the key priorities of this RESJ Plan
2014                                early childhood education and care    and the Queensland Government
                                    sector.                               plan for increasing Aboriginal and
                                                                          Torres Strait Islander child care
                                                                          workers.
Gold Coast City Council—TechGC      This document outlines the            There are commonalities in youth
                                    TechGC initiative and the key focus   transition and the creation of a
                                    areas.                                skilled workforce.
Closing the Gap: National           The document outlines the six         The RESJ Plan identifies Aboriginal
Indigenous Reform Agreement,        Closing the Gap targets for           and Torres Strait Islander
Council of Australian Governments   reducing disadvantage for             disadvantage in the Gold Coast
                                    Aboriginal and Torres Strait          region and outlines strategies to
                                    Islander people.                      contribute to the Closing the Gap
                                                                          targets.
National Resource Sector            The relevant recommendations          Connecting job seekers and out of
Workforce Strategy                  from the National Resource Sector     trade apprentices from the Gold
                                    Employment Taskforce include:         Coast to opportunities in the
                                     increase the number of trade        resource sector, including
                                       professionals                      connecting to employers, relevant
                                     strengthen workforce                training and Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO)
                                       participation                      connections.
                                     forge stronger ties between
                                       industry and education.
Work for Queensland Resources       Similar to the National Resource      Connecting job seekers and out of
Skills and Employment Plan          Sector Workforce Strategy, this       trade apprentices from the Gold
                                    document specifically identifies      Coast to opportunities in the
                                    the Gold Coast as a supply point      resource sector, including
                                    for labour and skills for the         connecting to employers, relevant
                                    resources sector.                     training and FIFO connections.

                                                              Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 24
                                                                                            www.deewr.gov.au/resj
ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation     Full Term

ABS            Australian Bureau of Statistics

AEDI           Australian Early Development Index

DEEWR          Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations

DES            Disability Employment Services

DETE           Department of Education, Training and Employment (Qld)

FIFO           Fly-In Fly-Out

IEP            Indigenous Employment Program

IYCP           Indigenous Youth Career Pathways

JSA            Job Services Australia

RDA            Regional Development Australia

RESJ           Regional Education, Skills and Jobs

RPL            Recognition of Prior Learning

                                                 Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Gold Coast 25
                                                                               www.deewr.gov.au/resj
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