Michael Ronaldson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Veterans' Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

asked the Minister representing the Minister forEmployment and Workplace Relations, upon notice, on 29 November 2012 :

(1) Given that the Department of Resources, Energy an d Tourism asserts there is a 36, 000 employee shortfall in the tourism sector and that labour force vacancies will rise: (a) what work has been undertaken to address this by the Minister and the Minister ' s department, and has it been successful; and (b) how many individuals are involved in the Seasonal Worker Program, what paperwork is an operator required to complete in order to participate in the scheme, and can copies of this paperwork be provided.

(2) With reference to the funding secured to expedite research on tourism employment ' hotspots ' over the next 12 months: (a) how much has been allocated for this project; (b) what work does this involve; and (c) what key performance indicators have been set for this project. (3) Given that matched funding has been promised for consequent training in the National Workforce Development Fund (NWDF), how much has been allocated and what timeframe is set for the roll out of the NWDF.

(4) Can a report be provided on the development of the careers promotion campaign, building on the Discover Tourism and Discover Hospitality websites.

(5) Does the Seasonal Worker Program underway apply to all types of tourism connected businesses, such as restaurants, or does it only apply to accommodation providers, and how many businesses are currently participating.

(6) Can an update be provided on the labour agreement for temporary skilled migrants for tourism and hospitality.

(7) (a) Has the trial of an $18 million over 4 years Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme for workers from the Pacific and East Timor in select industries been a success; (b) against what key performance indicators was this trial assessed; (c) how many participants are included in the trial and in any subsequent roll out; and (d) what obligations are placed on employers wishing to participate, including paperwork and administrative obligations.

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Finance and Deregulation) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) (a) The employee shortfall in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry is driven by a complex mix of factors, including fluctuating demand (due to seasonal change and economic conditions), high job turnover, low retention and casualisation of the workforce.

The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) provides assistance to employers to meet their labour needs via Job Services Australia and the Seasonal Worker Program. On top of this, DEEWR has a range of labour market strategies focused on better connecting job seekers with jobs in specific industries and/​or regions. One example of this related to the tourism industry is DEEWR funding the Australian Hotels Association and Restaurant and Catering Australia to act as Employer Brokers, working in association with Job Services Australia and large employers in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry to address labour shortfalls through recruitment of jobseekers.

While the Employer Broker program has now ended, success is evident in improved engagement between large hotel chains and Job Services Australia providers in facilitating recuitment for entry level jobs. Facilitating recruitment for highly-skilled and challenging occupations such as chefs is more difficult. The Department is currently working with the Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism and industry representatives to support more effective workforce strategies for cooks and chefs. The Department's focus is on facilitating effective recruitment and career development strategies for both employers and jobseekers.

(b) Under the Seasonal Worker Program, up to 12,000 places are available to Australian employers. There are 10,450 places available for the Australian horticulture sector over a four year period and 1,550 places for a trial of seasonal labour mobility arrangements in certain regions with Australia's accommodation, aquaculture, cane and cotton sectors over a three year period.

In order to participate in the Seasonal Worker Program, an interested business must complete:

In addition, approved businesses must complete a recruitment plan and submit to DEEWR for assessment prior to recruiting seasonal workers.

(2) (a) The total budget for the 'hot spot' Tourism Employment Plans is $1.1 million.

(b) The Tourism Employment Plans involve a four stage process of regional consultation, mapping and gapping of existing programs, development of immediate and medium term labour and skills solutions tailored to the needs of the area and development of a sustainable model to carry the Plan forward.

(c) Individual key performance indicators and metrics are developed in consultation with each region as part of the final Tourism Employment Plan.

(3) Through the National Workforce Development Fund the government is providing over $8.3 million and industry is providing $3.7 million for the Workforce Futures project that will support workforce development and training in the sector. This includes $2.4 million in government funding and $2.2 in industry funding for targeted skills development. The project has commenced, and is due to be completed by 30 June 2015.

(4) The key deliverable of the Career Promotional Campaign project is the development of a toolkit that comprises a package of materials that promotes tourism and hospitality career pathways for careers in high demand occupations and regions. The campaign is complementary to existing resources including Discover Tourism and Discover Hospitality. The package of materials is being developed by the National Tourism Alliance and are scheduled to be publicly available in February 2013.

(5) The Seasonal Worker Program is not open to all types of tourism businesses. The three year trial of seasonal labour mobility arrangements is limited to accommodation providers in selected locations (corresponding to the Tourism Employment Plan 'hot spots'), including Broome in Western Australia, Kangaroo Island in South Australia, Tropical North Queensland and the Whitsundays in Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Seasonal workers can be employed as bar attendants, baristas, food and beverage attendants/​waiters, café workers, garden labourers, housekeepers, kitchen hands and public area cleaners. Accommodation providers in the selected regions are anticipated to participate in the program from April 2013, when they may experience a seasonal peak in demand for labour.

(6) The Government is considering options for the development of a template Labour Agreement for a range of occupations sought by the tourism and hospitality industry such as highly experienced front-of-house workers, including waiters, concierges and reception staff.The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is the decision maker on all Labour Agreements.

(7) (a) The objective of the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme was to test whether a low skilled seasonal labour mobility program could contribute to economic development in participating pacific island countries. The Pilot was demand driven, and available to employers in the Australian horticulture industry unable to find enough local labour to meet seasonal demand. A small scale trial was also conducted in the accommodation sector in Broome with workers from Timor Leste during the final year of the Pilot.

The objectives of the Pilot were successfully tested and the Australian Government announced the introduction of the Seasonal Worker Program from 1 July 2012.

(b) An evaluation report on the development impacts of the Pacific Seasonal Worker Pilot Scheme has been completed. The report is available at:

http://ideas.repec.org/p/wai/econwp/11-09.html

(c) Of the 2500 visas available under the Pilot, a total of 1633 visas were granted, predominantly in the final year due to alleviation of climatic conditions such as drought, and improvement in the economy after the global financial crisis.

Under the Seasonal Worker Program, up to 12,000 places are available to Australian employers. There are 10,450 places available for the Australian horticulture sector over a four year period and 1,550 places for a trial of seasonal labour mobility arrangements in certain regions with Australia's accommodation, aquaculture, cane and cotton sectors over a three year period. The number of places available each year is scheduled to grow, providing a total of up to: 2, 000 places in 2012/13; 2,500 places in 2013/14; 3,250 places in 2014/15; and 4, 250 places in 2015/16.