The Country Mayors Association of NSW has welcomed a decision by the NSW Government to broaden its ‘Welcome Experience’ regional employment support scheme to include local government staff in addition to essential workers.
CMA Chairman and Temora Shire Mayor, Rick Firman OAM said skilled labour shortages in rural, remote and regional NSW were a real challenge for the Association’s member councils.
The Welcome Experience is a free service which supports essential workers and their families who are considering applying for or have accepted a job in regional NSW.
“The NSW Government broadening its’ Welcome Experience program to include Local Government workers, in addition to ‘essential workers’ is a real win that our rural, remote and regional members are grateful for,” said Chair Firman.
“They are one of the largest employers of skilled workers in country communities and the struggle to fill positions can be
impactful.”
Chair Firman said he has written to Minister for Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty, on behalf of the CMA board and 89 members to express the Association’s appreciation for the broadening of the jobs scheme.
“Critical workforce shortages in rural, remote and regional Councils heavily impact our ability to deliver essential town planning, engineering, road maintenance, and even childcare and aged-care services. This free settlement concierge service is helping to make a completely new environment feel like home and that’s a vital step toward retaining the people we need,” he said.
“The practical, on-the-ground support provided by the program’s Local Connectors – including finding housing, arranging childcare, and helping partners to find employment – removes the greatest barriers families face when relocating to the bush. This will not only help with our members’ retention of newer staff but ultimately, their recruitment efforts as well.
“Whether we are talking about tree-changers, sea-changers and skilled migrants making a country change, the The Welcome Experience program has helped close to 3,500 essential workers (and their families) to settle in rural, remote and regional NSW to date. They value the assistance and so do we, their employers.”
Other Welcome Experience eligible sectors include aged care, Corrective Services NSW, Department of Communities & Justice, Disability support, NSW Ambulance, NSW Police Force, NSW Rural Fire Service, State Emergency Services, veterinary services, early childhood education, education, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW Health.
