Disasters and pandemics give regions such as Otago the opportunity to consider future requirements for skills and labour, Karen Coutts and Laura Black write.
Disruptions like those we have experienced in recent years present an opportunity to rethink the way we do things as a region.
Otago is being impacted by global demographic changes that are limiting the supply of labour and show no signs of abating. Change is required in the way we work, the way we train people for work and the way we think about work.
We need to find new ways to tackle the challenges that have been building for years and are holding our region back; such as acute skills and labour shortages, a misalignment between education and industry training requirements, and the need to be far better prepared for changing technologies and workplaces.
Addressing these challenges and taking advantage of new opportunities is one of the functions of the Otago Regional Skills Leadership Group (RSLG). The Otago RSLG is one of 15 independent advisory groups set up in 2021 to find and support better ways of meeting future regional workforce skills and needs.
We are a core part of the Government’s reform of vocational education, alongside Te Pukenga and Workforce Development Councils.
RSLGs are leading a more joined-up approach to workforce planning that brings regional labour market players together — worker representatives, industry, trainers, iwi/hapu/Maori, community groups and so on — to agree on how we can improve employment outcomes. This leadership role also includes connecting with government agencies to bring a regional voice on labour market issues.
In 2022 the Otago RSLG released its inaugural Regional Workforce Plan, which provided a detailed analysis of key employment sectors in Otago and set out actions designed to address workforce challenges.
These actions range from advocating for lifelong pathways and careers advice, to prioritising education provision that enables workforces to adapt to new and changing technologies. Our work is about finding regional solutions for regional labour market challenges and ensuring Otago workers are well equipped for jobs only just on the horizon.
We are focused now on identifying themes that cut across districts and sectors to impact workplaces across the region and that, when addressed, will help to create a more resilient regional workforce. These themes include supporting the Maori economy, rural populations vulnerable to single industries, technology as an enabler, and engaging under-utilised populations to move back into the labour market.
By better understanding these themes and their impacts, regionally owned solutions will become apparent. Our workforce plan is just a starting point and will be refreshed and reviewed regularly as progress is made.
As a RSLG, we have set some ambitious goals on behalf of the Otago people. The regional partnerships we are building will be essential to achieving these, particularly with local mana whenua and Maori. Also key is the broad expertise, passion, deep networks and mana of our members.
We have openings for new members to join this mahi.
You can find out more on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment website about opportunities to be part of work we can personally promise is both rewarding and important.
Mena he patai a koutou, whakapa mai.
— Karen Coutts and Laura Black are, respectively, iwi co-chair and co-chairwoman of the Otago Regional Skills Leadership Group, an independent advisory group on skills and workforce issues.
