1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,480 Speaker 1: When your research shows there's fierce competition for job seekers 2 00:00:03,520 --> 00:00:08,360 Speaker 1: applying for low skilled vacancies. The latest jobs availability snapshot 3 00:00:08,400 --> 00:00:12,080 Speaker 1: from Anglicare Australia reveals there are at least six job 4 00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: seekers competing for every low skilled job vacancy across the 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,799 Speaker 1: Northern Territory. It also reveals more people with barriers to 6 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:23,760 Speaker 1: work such as age, education and disabilities. We're competing with 7 00:00:24,000 --> 00:00:27,400 Speaker 1: fewer jobs. To talk more about, this is the Anglicicare 8 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: Australia Executive director, Casey Chambers. Casey, good morning, Good morning Matt. 9 00:00:33,040 --> 00:00:34,120 Speaker 2: How are you very well? 10 00:00:34,159 --> 00:00:36,400 Speaker 1: Thank you, Casey. Can you tell us a little bit 11 00:00:36,400 --> 00:00:39,600 Speaker 1: more about this report and what it means for the 12 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:40,560 Speaker 1: Northern Territory. 13 00:00:41,960 --> 00:00:44,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, sure, but we do this report every year, but 14 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:49,000 Speaker 2: you know it really is incredibly important this yearly we're 15 00:00:49,040 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 2: trying to do. We all hear these numbers. You know, 16 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: it's gone up, it's gone down there all this happening. 17 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 2: There's a lot of movement we've heard since we you know, 18 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,400 Speaker 2: just shyesterday the unemployment numbers now ship gone up again. 19 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:02,520 Speaker 2: So they're big numbers. And what we're trying to do 20 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 2: is actually dig down and have a look at what 21 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 2: it's like for those people, you know, the people you 22 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:10,319 Speaker 2: talked about in your introduction, kids who've left school without 23 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: you know, a year twelve and haven't been able to 24 00:01:12,160 --> 00:01:15,360 Speaker 2: get experience all the workers, people with the disability, people 25 00:01:15,400 --> 00:01:18,319 Speaker 2: who don't have English the first language, people who live 26 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: somewhere where there aren't that many jobs around. So you know, 27 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,280 Speaker 2: we really wanted to have a look for those people. 28 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,959 Speaker 2: So we we look at the number of people in 29 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 2: that kind of category, and we look at the number 30 00:01:29,360 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 2: of jobs where you know, they don't need a tertiary 31 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 2: qualification and most of the training is on the job, 32 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:37,320 Speaker 2: and some of them become very skilled jobs, you know, 33 00:01:37,480 --> 00:01:41,360 Speaker 2: care jobs or even security and the hospitality, but they 34 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 2: can start at that level and that's where we get that, 35 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 2: you know, for that group of people and that group 36 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:51,559 Speaker 2: of jobs. Yep, you're right. In the Northern Territory, there's 37 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: six point two people looking for each one of those jobs, 38 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,560 Speaker 2: and that has gone up since last year. You can 39 00:01:57,640 --> 00:01:59,800 Speaker 2: thank your look at Stars. You're not Tasmania though, because 40 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:02,760 Speaker 2: they've got twenty one people for every one of those jobs. 41 00:02:04,080 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 2: But yeah, the other thing we should never forget is that, 42 00:02:07,000 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 2: particularly at the moment when we're in this recession, we've 43 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,120 Speaker 2: got people out of work all the other types of jobs. 44 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 2: The government, by the way, called these level five jobs. 45 00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:17,760 Speaker 2: So we've got people out of work and being laid 46 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,480 Speaker 2: off in levels one, two, three, and four jobs, and 47 00:02:20,520 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 2: of course they can compete for these jobs as well. 48 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 2: And when we do that figure across the nation, that's 49 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:27,920 Speaker 2: one hundred and six jobs because for every one of 50 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,200 Speaker 2: these entry level jobs. So what we're saying is it's 51 00:02:31,240 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 2: a very difficult situation for anybody who's unemployed, but especially 52 00:02:35,960 --> 00:02:40,600 Speaker 2: for these people who've got these additional barriers. And yeah, 53 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 2: we see a lot of churn, We see a lot 54 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 2: of people, you know, who are coming from those other 55 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:48,120 Speaker 2: levels picking up these level five jobs. And of course 56 00:02:48,520 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 2: the folk we're interested in can miss out for a 57 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 2: long time, and that in itself that it's a vicious circle. 58 00:02:56,080 --> 00:02:59,240 Speaker 2: But the research clearly shows the longer you are unemployed, 59 00:02:59,240 --> 00:03:01,360 Speaker 2: the harder it is to this a job. And the 60 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:05,320 Speaker 2: people that we're talking about here typically spend five years 61 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: plus on unemployment compared to people who bounce through more quickly. 62 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: Casie. When we talk about low skilled jobs, I always 63 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: find the term very interesting because obviously made reference to 64 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,079 Speaker 1: you know before as to people that you know might 65 00:03:20,120 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: be able to apply for a low skilled job. But 66 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: every job in itself does require a skill. I mean 67 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: we might class something as simple as you know, being 68 00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:30,280 Speaker 1: a shelf packer at a supermarket low skilled, but that 69 00:03:30,360 --> 00:03:34,240 Speaker 1: in itself does obviously require some skills and training, and 70 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 1: as you mentioned before, you can actually go on to 71 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: you know, have quite a skilled career within retail. 72 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 2: That's right, And that's why i'm you know, I'm resisting 73 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,840 Speaker 2: sort of calling them anything other than, you know, trying 74 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:49,760 Speaker 2: to use that that term that the government uses, which 75 00:03:49,800 --> 00:03:52,520 Speaker 2: is level five. The reason we look at these jobs 76 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:56,040 Speaker 2: is they don't require a tertiary qualification and they don't 77 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 2: say you've got to have seven years in the similar 78 00:03:58,480 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 2: industry or something, so the training is often on the job. 79 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 2: But you're right, they require huge skills. I mean, how 80 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 2: many times have we all asked that shelf packer for assistance? 81 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 2: How many times is that shelf packer the person who 82 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,600 Speaker 2: might be dealing with somebody in a security situation, who 83 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: might be having a mental health episode in a supermarket 84 00:04:17,440 --> 00:04:20,320 Speaker 2: late at night. You know, there's heaps of skills, and 85 00:04:20,800 --> 00:04:23,479 Speaker 2: I've been surprised as we've done this research, some of 86 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:27,719 Speaker 2: the jobs that are counted as level five. So this 87 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 2: entry level job security at the airport, is that that 88 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 2: retail person who's assisting you with something hospitality. You know, 89 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,560 Speaker 2: we all love going for our coffees and our and 90 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:43,599 Speaker 2: our cafes and things. A lot of those jobs are 91 00:04:44,080 --> 00:04:47,520 Speaker 2: entry level. But what it does mean is certainly, yes, 92 00:04:47,640 --> 00:04:50,920 Speaker 2: you might start with a cleaning firm with just some 93 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,599 Speaker 2: quick on the job sort of you know, instruction, but 94 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:56,919 Speaker 2: you might take that role somewhere. You might become a 95 00:04:56,960 --> 00:05:00,840 Speaker 2: specialist cleaner. You might become a cleaner in an age 96 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 2: care facility where the additional skills of interacting with folk. 97 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 2: So yeah, you know, certainly a lot of these so 98 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 2: called entry level jobs they do lead somewhere. And one 99 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,240 Speaker 2: of the things we've been saying to employers as well 100 00:05:13,279 --> 00:05:17,440 Speaker 2: as sometimes particularly the next level up of jobs, they 101 00:05:17,480 --> 00:05:20,600 Speaker 2: seem to make them more complex unnecessarily, and that means 102 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:23,920 Speaker 2: that they're missing out on what may be some great people. 103 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:26,040 Speaker 2: I think we've all seen that time where it says, 104 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,640 Speaker 2: you know, driving license required or something like that, and 105 00:05:28,640 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: it turns out you never do drive in that job. 106 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,760 Speaker 2: So you know, The jobs are getting more complex, there's 107 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:37,960 Speaker 2: no doubt about that. But some of it is due 108 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 2: to the fact that, yeah, I think employers they know 109 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 2: what market they're in, so they can ask for something 110 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:44,320 Speaker 2: a bit more complex. 111 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:47,840 Speaker 1: Okay, See in the recent federal budget we saw new 112 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: employment incentives to hire young people. What is this going 113 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 1: to make the job market like for young people? Obviously 114 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:58,240 Speaker 1: it's you know, incentives are good, but what about those 115 00:05:58,279 --> 00:06:00,880 Speaker 1: older Australians. I think over over thirty five. 116 00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:04,679 Speaker 2: It's a bit of a shock to be called older 117 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 2: when you're older over thirty five, Although thirty six year 118 00:06:09,320 --> 00:06:12,640 Speaker 2: olds out there this morning knowing that they're older around workers. Look, 119 00:06:13,680 --> 00:06:16,279 Speaker 2: we do think that it's a pretty good thing, you know, 120 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 2: the job, the job hiring of younger people. It is 121 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 2: a difficult thing. You know, We've all had it when 122 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 2: we've been young, and I'm sure there's people listening who 123 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 2: are told come back when you've got some experience. We 124 00:06:26,680 --> 00:06:28,280 Speaker 2: can't get experience, so you've got a job and you 125 00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:30,359 Speaker 2: can't get a job to you've got experience. So it 126 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:33,040 Speaker 2: should hopefully hammer through there. And of course if you're 127 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:35,720 Speaker 2: someone of twenty five, you've got longer in the workforce 128 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 2: between now and your retirement. So doing something at that 129 00:06:39,279 --> 00:06:41,760 Speaker 2: end can it can be a greater leave in a way. 130 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:46,280 Speaker 2: But we are very very concerned about older workers. If 131 00:06:46,320 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 2: you're somebody at a lower paid job or that you've 132 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:54,479 Speaker 2: lost your job and you're fifty eight, late fifties or 133 00:06:54,480 --> 00:06:59,040 Speaker 2: early sixties, you've got that decade to really settle your 134 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:02,560 Speaker 2: situation before you you know, you come up, you retire, 135 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:06,240 Speaker 2: and if you're retiring from unemployment, then that happens at 136 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 2: sixty five when you move onto the age pension. But 137 00:07:09,480 --> 00:07:11,679 Speaker 2: you know, we see people lose a lot in those 138 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 2: in that last decade if they fall out of work. 139 00:07:14,040 --> 00:07:16,520 Speaker 2: You know, they can be in the private rental market 140 00:07:16,560 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 2: because they've had to sell a house, or the old 141 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:23,360 Speaker 2: rated new start was so low that you know, forty 142 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:26,600 Speaker 2: dollars a day, people were needing to sell things, borrow, 143 00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 2: you know, the just exercise every little bit of resource 144 00:07:32,720 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 2: and resilience they had, and so by the time they 145 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 2: get to that age pension, they're not in a great 146 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 2: situation to then, you know, enjoy the rest of their retirement. 147 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:45,120 Speaker 2: And so there is a huge concern there and certainly 148 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:47,680 Speaker 2: we hear we've heard when we were doing this report 149 00:07:47,800 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 2: from a number of people in their late fifties and 150 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 2: early sixties who told us that their job active provider 151 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,200 Speaker 2: had said to them, naw, you want get another job 152 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,280 Speaker 2: and so and yet we're still asking those people or 153 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:03,200 Speaker 2: to jump through you know, the job active hoops for. 154 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 2: If we're saying in that situation, maybe we should just 155 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:11,000 Speaker 2: be recognizing that there is a broader way to contribute 156 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 2: to your community and participate in society than a straight 157 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 2: economic job. You know, our volunteers. We have about nineteen 158 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 2: thousand volunteers around the country through Anglicare, and they are 159 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 2: typically older people. They're typically sixty plus. And this country 160 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:29,240 Speaker 2: wouldn't run without our volunteers. 161 00:08:29,360 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: Yeah. Just finally, Casey, what's your message to the government 162 00:08:33,280 --> 00:08:36,199 Speaker 1: and employers when it comes to employment in the Northern 163 00:08:36,280 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: Territory right now? 164 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 2: Look, I think you know, employers, a lot of the 165 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:46,000 Speaker 2: measures in last week's budget it is still last weeks, 166 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:48,800 Speaker 2: isn't it. Since a long time ago, a lot of 167 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:53,359 Speaker 2: them were you know, really based on businesses and employers 168 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:56,720 Speaker 2: having some confidence that things were going to improve. So, 169 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 2: you know, you'd need to have the confidence that things 170 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,240 Speaker 2: are going to get better to put somebody new on, 171 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 2: so you know, we were hoping that that business does 172 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:09,080 Speaker 2: have that confidence. We would really be saying, let's let's 173 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,599 Speaker 2: you know, if there's somebody who you can give or 174 00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:15,160 Speaker 2: go to the then do that. That's that's great, but 175 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:18,319 Speaker 2: don't forget that. You know, people who do have these 176 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 2: additional barriers. They I don't want to generalize, you know 177 00:09:22,200 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 2: that they can often be great workers. And I would 178 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 2: also be saying, certainly to the government, we were very 179 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:35,200 Speaker 2: disappointed at angler care to see the recovery in the budget. 180 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 2: You know that trillion dollars. I can't even think how 181 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:40,800 Speaker 2: many zeros that is, but that trillion dollars was really 182 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:43,320 Speaker 2: all eggs in one basket. It was all through the 183 00:09:43,320 --> 00:09:46,200 Speaker 2: private sector. And I think what missed out there was, 184 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,960 Speaker 2: you know that we've got a great set of care 185 00:09:49,040 --> 00:09:52,080 Speaker 2: jobs out there. We know that we could increase the 186 00:09:52,160 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 2: number of careers in age care tomorrow and we would 187 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:59,040 Speaker 2: have you know, better quality of care for all the people. 188 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 2: Everything would be it ticks all the boxes, and some 189 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 2: of those jobs can be entry level to begin with, 190 00:10:05,200 --> 00:10:08,320 Speaker 2: and people can start a really great career through those 191 00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 2: kind of industries. So we would be really saying, here, 192 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:15,120 Speaker 2: no eggs all in one basket. Let's look beyond the 193 00:10:15,160 --> 00:10:18,520 Speaker 2: private sector. Let's look at some care lead recovery jobs 194 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 2: and let's think about that how those can actually add 195 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,880 Speaker 2: to the quality of life right across the territory, not 196 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,199 Speaker 2: just on that road building project, but actually in every community, 197 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 2: every suburb. 198 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: Great advice, Casey Chambers, the Anglicicare Australia executive Director. We'll 199 00:10:36,160 --> 00:10:37,680 Speaker 1: have to leave it there. Thank you so much for 200 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: taking the time to chat to us this morning. 201 00:10:39,520 --> 00:10:41,000 Speaker 2: Thanks so much for having me on that