Regional plans to drive Queensland tourism
New plans to ensure we can have the skilled workforce for Queensland’s growing tourism industry have been released today as part of a major initiative from Jobs Queensland.
Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said 13 regional tourism workforce plans add tailored, local recommendations to the Queensland Tourism Workforce Plan 2017-20 and would ensure new and current workers have the skills to deliver world-class tourism experiences across the state.
“Queensland regions offer unique tourism experiences, so it is fitting that the businesses and staff working across the state develop the skills and services that take advantage of their local opportunities.”
“Each plan sets out achievable and realistic recommendations for local tourism businesses and government to support local communities, the tourism sector and Queensland’s economy” Ms Fentiman said.
Tourism Industry Development Minister Kate Jones said tourism was a $25 billion industry in Queensland and directly employed about 217,000 people – nearly 10 per cent of the state’s workforce.
“In consultation with the local tourism industry, the 13 plans have been developed to identify the key skills drivers critical to growing the tourism industry in regional Queensland,” Ms Jones said.
“From the outback, to the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland offers a diverse range of tourism experiences.
“Each plan is tailored to suit individual tourism markets because we need to make sure that we can continue to grow each tourism sector and have the skilled workers we need to fill the jobs of the future in this industry.”
The reports provide information including profiles of each regional tourism sector, jobs training programs available, current and upcoming projects that have the potential to drive tourism growth, and action plans setting out priorities, goals and recommended actions.
Included is also specific information for each region so they can skill their workforces to further advance the many exciting tourism opportunities in regions across our state’s coastal, outback, country, and metropolitan areas.
The plans’ recommendations include making tourism careers attractive as “careers of choice”; providing local work experience opportunities for students; promoting opportunities to develop skills in entrepreneurship and digital tourism; and increasing the promotion of existing collaboration opportunities that exist across government, industry and local employers.
Ms Fentiman said the July 2017 Queensland Tourism Workforce Plan 2017-20 and the 13 regional tourism workforce plans were a ky component of the Palaszczuk Government’s Advancing Tourism Strategy.
“The Palaszczuk Government is establishing a Tourism Workforce Steering Committee to oversee and drive initiatives arising from these plans.”
“This Committee will feature strong industry, regional and government representation to ensure workforce development actions, for this industry, are properly focussed and effective,” Ms Fentiman said.
In July this year, the Palaszczuk Government said preliminary data from Tourism Research Australia showed a record-breaking 2.7 million visitors came to Queensland in the year to March 2018, underlining the importance of tourism to the Queensland economy.
The 13 regional tourism workforce plans are for (in alphabetical order):
- Brisbane
- Bundaberg North Burnett
- Capricorn
- Fraser Coast
- Gladstone
- Gold Coast
- Mackay
- Outback
- Southern Queensland Country
- Sunshine Coast
- Townsville North Queensland
- Tropical North Queensland
- Whitsundays
See the regional tourism workforce plans.
Last updated 12 April 2019