Tamworth and Gunnedah embrace Jobs for NSW

Jobs for NSW chief executive officer Karen Borg met with business owners to get the message out about the various programs her organisation offers.

Jobs for NSW is a private sector-led, government-backed initiative, with the aim of creating one million new jobs by 2036.

Ms Borg said regional job creation was a major focus for Jobs for NSW, and she wanted to harness the talents and knowledge of regional communities.

In Tamworth and Gunnedah, Ms Borg said the big challenge for many businesses was the number of skilled workers.

“You can be a great business with lots of opportunity, but if you haven’t got people who have the right skills, it’s going to be a challenge,” she told The Leader.

“You don’t just grow skills overnight, they take time to be developed.

“From a government perspective and an education and training perspective, we’re working on solutions to help skills areas be enhanced, because quite simply that’s stopping growth.”

Tamworth MP Kevin Anderson said Jobs for NSW will invest $190m over four years to accelerate new jobs creation across the state, with a minimum of 30 per cent ($57m) dedicated to regional NSW.

“I’ve invited Ms Borg to visit the Tamworth electorate to provide advice on how local entrepreneurs and fast-growing businesses could benefit from Jobs for NSW’s assistance,” he said.

Mr Anderson said expressions of interest for the recently announced a Regional Jobs Now program, designed and led by Jobs for NSW, were open until December 9.

“Regional Jobs Now provides a suite of five different financial products aimed at meeting the needs of businesses at different stages of their development – from start-ups to fast growing small-to-medium sized businesses,” Mr Anderson said.

“All the products are designed to provide financial support to help companies grow their business and create jobs in local communities.

“Applications will be assessed and if a business is not eligible for one product it may be eligible for another.”

Deputy Premier and Regional Development Minister Skills John Barilaro said regional NSW was a keystone of the state’s economy, producing around one third of its Gross State Production.