Federal government identifies the most sought-after workers in the Northern Territory

As the NT and federal governments meet to discuss how to get more skilled workers in the Top End, a list of the most sought-after employees has been revealed and it’s different to any other state. Could you fill one of these jobs?

Welfare, recreation and community arts workers, waiters, storepersons, human resource professionals, social workers, occupational and environmental health professionals and delivery drivers.

These are the most sought-after workers in the Territory amid a growing skills shortage, as federal Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor meets with key stakeholders in the Top End to address the issue.

In an opinion piece published in the Sunday Territorian, Mr O’Connor said the skills shortage in the Territory and outlook on the labour market was “markedly different” to the rest of the country.

“The shortages running through the Northern Territory are nothing new and they have a unique footprint,” he wrote.

Federal Skills Minister Brendan O'Connor (centre) said there was a disconnect between workers’ skills and jobs available. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Mr O’Connor said the National Skills Commission’s 2022 Skills Priority List had identified a number of jobs on shortage in the Territory but not nationally.

He wrote that one of the biggest challenges with filling the worker void was the disconnect between the work available and applicants’ skills.

“Despite there being more work available, workers are struggling to land a job because there is a mismatch between available training and occupations,” he wrote.

On Sunday, Mr O’Connor attended a skills roundtable at Parliament House with Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Solomon MHR Luke Gosling to further discuss the National Skills Agreement.

As part of the agreement, the government has committed 180,000 free TAFE and vocational education training (VET) places across the country.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles said she was glad to see $5.3 million allocated in the federal budget for Territorians to be trained through VET. Picture: Floss Adams.

“The federal government wants to work with the Territory Government, with employers and unions, with community groups to ensure that we invest in the appropriate way to fill the shortages in the labour market,” Mr O’Connor said.

“If we don’t invest in the skills that are in demand then the economy doesn’t go forward.”

Mr O’Connor said visa options for skilled migrants would be one of the topics discussed at the round table.

Ms Fyles said she was glad to see $5.3m allocated in the federal budget for Territorians to be trained through VET.

“The Northern Territory’s time is now,” she said.