Macarthur’s jobs of the future
The Macarthur Chronicle took a look at our top jobs in the coming 20 years with the Western Sydney Airport on the horizon and a massive population boom.
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The Macarthur Chronicle took a look at our top jobs in the coming 20 years with the Western Sydney Airport on the horizon and a massive population boom.
MACARTHUR’S TOP 9 JOBS OF THE FUTURE
Advanced manufacturing: Advanced manufacturing will support a range of industries in the Macarthur region.
Small business enterprises: The government has targeted CBD precincts to build office space and help small businesses develop.
Retail: Recent upgrades to Narellan Town Centre and Macarthur Square are a sign of things to come as retail jobs increase to cater to the population.
Health and research: Campbelltown has been identified as a health super-precinct, bringing with it higher level health and research jobs.
Education: New schools are being built to support a large population of young families while Western Sydney University is expanding its medical and health programs.
Construction: Will support the housing boom.
Logistics and Transport: Warehousing and freight jobs to support other industries.
Tourism: Tourism will capture visitor traffic from the airport.
Agriculture: The region’s existing agriculture will benefit from exports through the airport.
JOBS TO BOOM WITH AIRPORT
As the Macarthur region gets set for a 20-year population boom, one of the greatest challenges facing our community leaders is jobs for locals.
Along with an influx of jobs to be created by the Western Sydney Airport at Badgerys Creek, it is estimated more than 20,000 new jobs will be needed in the Campbelltown, Narellan and Leppington districts alone.
The new jobs will need to cater for a Macarthur region that expects to be home to at least 600,000 people by 2036.
In Campbelltown, the Draft South West District Plan set out by the Greater Sydney Commission has set a target of 7000 to 9000 new jobs by 2036.
In Narellan it is anticipated an additional 4000 to 6000 new jobs will be needed while a significantly developed Leppington would need between 7000 and 12,500 jobs. The Western Sydney Airport is expected to create 29,000 to 34,000 jobs alone.
Hume federal Liberal MP Angus Taylor, the Assistant Minister for Cities charged with leading the formation of the Western Sydney City Deals, a partnership between federal, state and local government, said the jobs were coming.
Mr Taylor said Western Sydney Airport would attract big business to the region and provide for jobs within 30-minutes drive from the area that would be supported by improving local infrastructure.
He said in the short-term, construction jobs would be in abundance in order to support the growth boom. “With the airport, tourism and advanced manufacturing will be two of the big industries,” Mr Taylor said.
“A conservative estimate is that there will be 60,000 jobs created in and around the airport. The region is already extremely well suited to advanced manufacturing and the potential is there to continue to grow that.”
Mr Taylor said outside of the airport precinct, local districts such as Campbelltown, Narellan, Leppington and Oran Park would see a rise in jobs across a range of sectors.
“It is crucial that we support small businesses in our CBDs, the small businesses employing three or four people today will be employing 100 or so people in 20 years,” he said. “We need office space in those emerging CBDs like Campbelltown, Oran Park and Narellan as well as retail. You only have to look at Narellan Town Centre, the recent expansion has 2000 local jobs that previously would have been elsewhere.
“We’ll also see growth in health and education – we have a great hospital in Campbelltown and schools being built to support the community.”
Mr Taylor said one example of how small business could be supported to expand was Narellan Pools, which has grown from a small family-owned business to one of Australia’s largest pool retailers and manufacturers. The company now franchises nationwide and just last year opened a new facility at Picton which employs 27 staff and expects to expand.
Chief operating officer Peter Baily said the site was used as a research and development hub for the business.
“We’re now the biggest pool manufacturer in the country,” he said.
“We opened last year moving from our old site where we were struggling for space.
“Now we have 27 people and we had 13 at the old site.
“We were keen to stay close to the area so we could keep the skill set of our workers who live locally.”
Campbelltown-Macarthur has been earmarked as a health and education super- precinct by the Greater Sydney Commission.
Campbelltown Mayor George Brticevic said future employment in Campbelltown would be targeted towards health and research jobs. “The hospital precinct will be a major job catalyst,” he said. “There’s over $600 million being put into the hospital in the coming years.
“Obviously other industries such as retail will play a massive role as well.’’
Cr Brticevic said the upcoming Western Sydney City Deals announcement would shed more light on the required number of jobs to support the region’s growth and there were a number of exciting announcements for Campbelltown around the corner. Camden Council recently established the Camden Economic Taskforce with the goal of attracting and developing commercial interests in the region.
“It is the intention of council that this taskforce will bring together key local business leaders and experts to drive and facilitate the economic growth of the area,” Camden Mayor Lara Symkowiak said.
HOPE FOR THE FUTURE
The NEXT generation of job seekers in the Macarthur region are likely to have the benefits of a booming employment market close to home.
Campbelltown Performing Arts High School students Tyrael Woodward and Jarrod Triggs are just about to complete their HSC and head into the world of study and the workforce.
Miss Woodward, 17, is uncertain about her path in life but has gained qualifications in business administration.
“I’m still not entirely sure what I want to do yet,” she said. “If they want to bring more jobs in then there is more of a chance for young people. There would be great opportunities for someone like me looking close to home.”
Eighteen-year-old Mr Triggs plans to study at the Conservatorium of Music in Sydney before becoming a high school teacher.
Mr Triggs said while studying he was able to hold down work in the local hospitality industry.
“I’ve never had trouble with part time work as there is plenty available out here,” he said.
“There are a lot of schools in the area that are now offering creative arts so I am hopeful that I could be able to find a job.”