Confidence in returning to the workforce in Tamworth and Gunnedah is booming.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
And for those looking to get back in the groove, job openings are beginning to increase.
So much so that one employment agency say they have more work than they can fill.
Good news also for those looking for a traineeship or apprenticeship.
VERTO has seen the number of positions available in the region slowly creeping back up after being decimated by COVID-19.
In the wake of SEEK releasing the top 20 most needed jobs, the region is on par with the demand.
It may be no surprise that nursing roles topped the list for highest demand.
More people in the Tamworth and surrounding regions are starting to look for work, so there is more confidence, and lot more jobs.
- Kate Ottewell
They were followed by warehousing, storage and distribution staff, aged and disability support, automotive trades, administrative assistants and sales representatives.
Kate Ottewell from Best Employment says at the moment there are more jobs there than they have people to fill them.
"More people in the Tamworth and surrounding regions are starting to look for work, so there is more confidence, and lot more jobs," she explained.
"The increase in jobs are bringing people out of hiding ... and it gives people the confidence to want to look for work again."
Have a gap year at home, experience the great rural and regional communities and help harvest this year ... with opportunities to easily make $1000 to $3000 a week.
- Fiona Simson
Things are also trending upwards in the number of apprenticeship positions popping up in the region.
While numbers have been significantly cut in Tamworth and right across the New England region, VERTO has seen a lot more apprenticeships, and job positions in general, become available.
CEO Ron Maxwell said he has hope for the immediate future if things continued on this trend.
"If we don't see any further COVID-19 restrictions come into place in NSW in the next two months, I expect this trend to continue," he said.
Warehousing, landscaping, cabinet making and carpentry have boomed in the past six weeks.
Mr Maxwell has definitely seen an increase in people applying as well, and says it signals workplace confidence is slowly returning "which is great news for our local communities."
Get into Ag
Something that has been on the lips of politicians, farmers, and recruitment agencies alike is the strong demand for work in the agricultural sector.
National Farmer's Federation president Fiona Simson said the lack of backpackers in the region due to COVID-19 has opened up many opportunities for locals, especially students who have had their overseas gap year hopes dashed.
"Have a gap year at home, experience the great rural and regional communities and help harvest this year ... with opportunities to easily make $1000 to $3000 a week," she said, explaining that Farmhub.org.au is your place to go.
READ ALSO
For others, Tamworth farmer Stuart Maidment cannot speak highly enough of working in the agriculture sector.
"My wife and I have lived in Tamworth for nearly 17 years where, together with our two daughters, we enjoy the diversity of the North West Slopes and Plains region," he said.
He works Achmea, who has just opened up 20 career opportunities with the purpose of 'keeping farmers farming'.
Achmea's drive has opportunities from farm insurance specialists to business development managers and more.