Golden Age: Gold Coast connectivity key to jobs and training future

AS the small business capital of Australia, Gold Coast businesses thrive off their connection with the market around them. Now, city leaders reveal the secret to attracting new business.

CITY leaders believe the Gold Coast’s enviable lifestyle is key to attracting those who’ll help its economy diversify — but widening the job market can’t come soon enough.

Gold Coasters are crying out for a much broader range of employment with 90 per cent of respondents to a Gold Coast Bulletin Golden Age survey saying the job market needs “diversified”.

Asked also if they thought there were plentiful employment opportunities on the Gold Coast, 66 per cent responded “no” compared to 34 per cent replying “yes”.

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Gold Coast locals are calling out for more diversity in the jobs market. (Photo by Mark Kolbe)

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Dubbed the small business capital of Australia, the Gold Coast economy is home to 64,848 businesses, 34.5 per cent of which are involved in either construction or real-estate.

Retail, healthcare and hospitality are currently ranked as the city’s top three employers of the 254,912 jobs available on the Gold Coast.

Australia’s sixth largest city — responsible for 10.9 per cent of the state’s annual Gross Regional Product — has long been making an effort to expand its construction and tourism dominated economy.

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Di Dixon, project leader, Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct

Diane Dixon, project director of the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct (GCHKP) at Southport, said it was the lifestyle employers can offer staff that was proving a draw for investment.

Ms Dixon said the city was the best placed spot in the country to catch the next wave of the economy, as employees increasingly seek liveability and connectivity with learning centres.

The multi-billion dollar Health and Knowledge Precinct — already home to Griffith University, Gold Coast University Hospital and Gold Coast Private Hospital — is anticipated to eventually boast 12,400 high-value jobs.

Those would require a further 26,000 full time equivalent positions for support staff on the Gold Coast, doing everything from cleaning, administration and cafe jobs.

“We need to make sure pipeline from education into the economy is streamlined. There are a few gaps in skills on the Gold Coast so for us it is about being able to address those,” Ms Dixon said.

“These include data analytics, cyber security, biomedical sciences, 3D printing. It is about being able to address those gaps in the sort of degrees we are offering. The future is in bio technology and bio informatics,” she said.

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Griffith University researchers are on the increase as part of the health and knowledge precinct build.

But it was the lifestyle employers can offer staff that was proving to be the draw for investment on the Gold Coast, Ms Dixon said.

“Internationally I have found a lot of employers are about a more rounded approach,” Ms Dixon said.

“The world is such a small place with connectivity so we need to have something credible to sell.

“Having the right opportunities here, in the precinct like advanced design and manufacturing centres means we won’t just rest on the laurels. Industry partnership, collaboration and the right workforce is only able to be retained if it is a serious place for them to work and continue their careers.

“We talk about an entrepreneurial spirit on the Gold Coast, which I believe is a reality,” she said.

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Gold Coast North Chamber of Commerce President Martin Brady. Picture Glenn Hampson

Gold Coast North Chamber of Commerce president Martin Brady said as one of the fastest-growing regions in Australia, it was more important than ever to tackle challenges of connectivity — both online and on roads — head on.

“Businesses survive with connectivity,” Martin Brady said.

“We don’t have the large government sector, we don’t have major corporate base, the Gold Coast is a self-made city of smaller businesses — they can’t afford not to get where they have to go,” he said.

“Obviously we are waiting for NBN in some areas and we still have the issues with infrastructure such as the Cross River rail, which should allow more and faster train services to Brisbane, but we are getting there,” he said.

“We are already seeing a more even spread outside of tourism and construction, and now have serious investment in industries in health and education with the Health and Knowledge Precinct and advanced manufacturing,” Mr Brady said.

“People are recognising the Gold Coast is a city now, and it is becoming more diverse by the day. We are growing so we need to keep building and planning or nothing will occur.

“Whether you like it or not people are attracted to the Gold Coast’s success, you can’t fence the border,” he said.

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GoldLinQ Chairman John Witheriff. Picture: Jerad Williams

To ensure the best and brightest of the population stays to make their careers on the Gold Coast, lawyer and businessman John Witheriff said connectivity was key.

“In a smart economy we need to move to, you need to have an internet that is reliable, frankly there are parts of the Gold Coast that you can’t even stream Netflix,” the chair of the Gold Coast light rail operator said.

“A draw for skilled professionals to the Gold Coast is its natural beauty and if they can function in the new economy with new internet and logistics, then you will find there will be useful wok for people,” he said.

“Health and education are predicted to be the two growth areas, so the challenge for us is to ensure the infrastructure for those who work from home or need to work with those in other cities,” he said.

“We have already seen businesses do that as part of their planning for the Commonwealth Games and it has built some incredibly flexible working cultures.