When the pandemic reached Australian shores, the country's net migration intake fell into negative levels for the first time since World War II. As cities begin to reopen and production picks up, the toll the pandemic has had on the skilled worker population is becoming increasingly clear. 

Data suggests that Victoria has been hit the hardest, being the only state in the nation to record a drop in population since the coronavirus hit Australia, and is now home to 43,000 less people than at the start of the pandemic. This means the state has shrunk by roughly the population of the Victorian border city of Wodonga. It appears that the closure of international borders has resulted in offshore migration failing to make up for those leaving the state due to extended lockdowns. 

What this means for manufacturing employers 

For employers within the manufacturing industry, this is having a significant impact on their ability to source skilled workers, with 56,600 manufacturing jobs lost in the second quarter of 2020. In August of this year, almost a quarter of manufacturing businesses were searching for employees, with 22,300 job vacancies being reported, compared with just 7,000 in February 2020. 

Despite the Federal Government's plans to attract the “best and brightest” skilled migrants from around the world when international borders reopen, employers and industry experts are calling for a more sustainable solution to the problem. Though skilled workers from overseas will always be a crucial component of Australia's workforce, according to the Advanced Skills for Advanced Manufacturing report the reliance on such labour has allowed both employers and the government to put off addressing the more pressing issue: how to encourage and develop a sustainable, home-grown workforce. 

"There are millions of unemployed and underemployed Australians, many of whom would relish the opportunity for the high quality, decently-paid work associated with skilled manufacturing jobs", the report states. 

"The fact that they are not able to attain those jobs, even as labour shortages seem to become more intense, is testimony to the failure of the vocational training system – not a statement on the lack of capacities of Australian workers." 

Tackling the industry's candidate shortage 

As Australia's manufacturing industry stares down the barrel of this skills shortage, Acclaimed Workforce is supporting employers through a multi-faceted approach. In addition to recruiting staff, we provide on-hired manufacturing employment services, acting as a certified labour hire agency which sees our team take on the responsibility of your flexible workforce.

Manufacturing employers located in cities and regional areas can also turn to Acclaimed Workforce for training and upskilling services, and the facilitation of apprenticeships. By bringing industry, employers, government and training providers together, we develop training programs that bridge these key manufacturing skill gaps in Australia, whether in beverage, food or production environments. 

In order to secure a sustainable, job-ready workforce, manufacturing employers should partner with a recruitment agency that takes a dynamic approach to the hiring process, to not only source the right skill sets for your business, but to also develop them. 

If you're interested in learning more about how Acclaimed Workforce can help you create a sustainable manufacturing workforce through our training and upskilling services, apprenticeships or on-hired services, contact us today.