Parramatta MP Dr. Andrew Charlton hosted a roundtable event this morning, bringing together a range of voices and perspectives from across Parramatta electorate to collaborate on local and national jobs opportunities and economic policies.
The event included guest panelists Parramatta Lord Mayor Donna Davis, Deputy Lord Mayor Sameer Pandey, Executive Director of Business Western Sydney David Borger, Mayor of Cumberland Lisa Lake, Office Managing Partner of Deloitte Helen Hamilton-James and Chairman and Founder of Western Sydney Business Dialogue Christopher Brown. Participants included representatives from different industries, unions, businesses, community organisations and education groups who established a concrete list of goals and priorities on local and national policies.
The roundtable explored a range of topics including maximising local job opportunities, addressing skills shortages, encouraging sustainable wage growth, bridging the gender employment gap, and addressing issues in the education sector to grow Parramatta’s local economy.
A summary will be produced and submitted to the Treasury taskforce ahead of the National Jobs and Skills Summit on 1-2 September. Stakeholders and attendees were encouraged to continue engaging in the discussion and make more contributions for the forthcoming Employment White Paper over the next 12 months.
This was a productive event, resulting in a clear strategy for business and economic improvement in the Parramatta electorate and surrounds. Dr. Charlton is committed to local jobs and economic growth, ensuring that the Parramatta region continues its trajectory to become an economically competitive global city.
Quotes attributable to Dr. Andrew Charlton, Federal Member for Parramatta:
“Our challenges are very real. The local opportunities are enormous. I want to make sure that we have an opportunity right now in Western Sydney to be at the heart of the national economic conversation. I don’t want to miss that opportunity.”
“One of the main challenges is unemployment in this area. Though the national unemployment rate is low, unemployment in some areas of this electorate is as high as 15%, which is a staggering tragedy, particularly for the young people who are most effected by that unemployment.”
“Some of the solutions that have been proposed are to make sure that we boost apprenticeships, make sure we encourage businesses to create entry-level positions for young people, make sure that people are getting the right skills that they need to succeed in the job market of today.”
For information on the National Jobs and Skills Summit please follow this link.
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