2011 Industry Skills Needs Report
Preliminary findings on skills needs for Victoria’s creative + leisure industries
Each year SkillsHub provides a report on the major skills needs for the creative and leisure sectors. Information is collected through industry consultations, surveys and desk top research. SkillsHub holds industry "roundtables" to assist to validate the report. A summary of the key findings for the 2011 report are provided below:
Increased competition for the consumer dollar - Across the creative and leisure industries, businesses face increased competition for consumers’ discretionary spending, and audience/consumer patterns are changing rapidly.
- Consumers are demanding more choice, flexibility and value for money, prompting industry to offer reciprocal memberships and more timely and customised services and events
- Consumers motivated by participation and by a desire to belong to a social group or community
- Consumers are time poor, prompting interest in shorter events/entertainment (i.e. Twenty20 Cricket), and services are desired for immediate gratification, prompting the success of “click, pay, and play” type services and products (i.e. iTunes one-step mobile downloads)
- Online entertainment options compete with live performance/ entertainment options
- Greater marketing of memberships/products via social media; consumers attracted by information that is online, attractive, timely, and current
New technologies - New technologies are still a major factor impacting on industry and this will likely increase with the introduction of the National Broadband Network. Social marketing and the use of digital interactive media will increase significantly in the next five years.
- More than ever, audiences are absorbing entertainment online
- Audiences increasingly use social media to communicate and engage with businesses
- Businesses and consumers are using GPS technology to attract use of local services/products
- Interactive media and games change how people interact with traditional products and services, i.e. Wii Fit being used as a fitness tool in gyms
- Greater capacity for businesses to gather consumer information
- Copyright issues and changing intellectual property laws are increasingly important for industry to keep up with
- The introduction of the iPad has created change in business models (money can be saved using econtent) and is spawning interest in graphics using motion and sound
- Organisations in the creative and leisure industries are attracted to candidates with strong IT and communications skills
Community engagement - There is a growing need to engage and build partnerships with local communities in the development of programs and events. The creative and leisure industries are now well recognised as contributing to community health and well-being.
- Social networking tools are increasingly important to engage with varying community groups
- Across the creative and leisure industries there is an expectation that organisations are producing more outcomes for the community, however they are not necessarily being funded to do so
- Lack of sporting facilities in lower social economic areas and new suburbs with little infrastructure
- Difficulty in attracting young people to traditional/classical sport and cultural events.
- It takes a long time to successfully engage with communities, but funding bodies underestimate how long this takes and the resources required
- Organisations in the creative and leisure industries shifting to become “community hubs” and meeting places
Ageing population - The ageing population will be a major factor in the future in the delivery and design of products and services and will impact significantly on skills development within the sectors. Succession and workforce planning is becoming an issue for many industries.
Economic changes - On the whole, most creative and leisure businesses coped through the global economic downturn. However, the increased value of the Australian dollar has had early ramifications. The global economic situation has had most impact on export industries but on a positive note has led to the creation of more local content.
- The GFC did not change the overall spending across industry but did change the way consumers spent. (i.e consumers were more likely to take up group fitness sessions than one on one personal training sessions).
- Economic stimulus package assisted in keeping consumer spending consistent
- Fewer international acts and educators are coming to Australia due to the exchange rate, however it means greater opportunities for Australians to go abroad.
- New opportunities with Asian markets instead of US/Europe markets
Environment and sustainability - Environmental and sustainability-focused issues are still featuring heavily in feedback from the creative and leisure industries and needs to be factored into future skills development.
- Greater OH&S and risk management awareness and responsibility on industry
- Environmental issues are important to consumers and they spend their money accordingly
- Amounts of water used on sporting fields and swimming pools is a salient issue for the sport and recreation industry
- Organisations are needing to work harder to maintain the attention of their audience in the face of other organisations “greenwashing” and fear-driven approach to environmental issues
Victorian Training Guarantee - The 2010 introduction of the Victorian Training Guarantee has had a particularly strong impact on the creative and cultural industries, with many workers being ineligible for funding because of prior qualification in higher education.
- Industry and training providers cite the biggest impact has been on career changers who seem to be locked out of training if they have to pay fee-for-service rates. It is anticipated that the strongest effects on the creative and cultural industries may not be seen for a few years.
- Industry advocates that training pathways work well backwards—citing examples of students with higher education qualifications who later obtain TAFE qualifications. Funding unfortunately does not support this approach.
- RTOs are seeing a complete shift in their audiences. The majority of students are from a young cohort and there are fewer mature-age students and career changers.
To comment on the above or to contribute feedback towards the 2011 Skills Needs Report please contact info@skillshub.com.au.
