Employers reporting difficulties finding in-demand skills in Australia
More than in three in four employers in Australia plan to re-skill existing staff over the next 12 months in a bid to address the skills gap in their workforce, according to a new report.
The research, released by the Ai Group's Centre for Education and Training, revealed that employers are finding it hard to source talent for some of their most in-demand skills.
To resolve this, 77% of employers plan to re-skill existing staff on the job, while others plan to hire experienced people, apprentices, and trainees.
They also plan to hire skilled migrants, as well as create flexible work conditions to meet their skill needs, the report revealed.
Source: Ai Group's Skills in demand in 2024
According to the report, technicians and trades workers' skills are the most in-demand (77%), with 79% of employers reporting challenges in finding or training staff to meet the gap.
"Australian businesses are telling us they are struggling to find the technical and trades skills they need, and over recent years it has become a problem for more and more companies," said Innes Willox, Ai Group chief executive, in a statement.
This is also the case for machinery operators and drivers, where there is high demand but difficulty in sourcing them.
"Not being able to find the right people at the right time limits the ability of businesses to meet demand, grow, and innovate and this has negative consequences for our economy," Willox said.
Other in-demand workers include professionals and managers, but employers said that they find them easier to source.
Source: Ai Group's Skills in demand in 2024
