Martin Ferguson
Minister for Resources and Energy
Minister for Tourism
Senator Nick Sherry
Minister for Small Business
Minister Assisting on Deregulation and Public Sector Superannuation
Minister Assisting on Tourism
The Minister for Tourism, Martin Ferguson AM MP, and the Minister Assisting on Tourism, Senator Nick Sherry, have today launched the Discover Tourism careers portal, a gateway for information on working in Australia’s tourism industry.
Discover Tourism - www.discovertourism.com.au - received $133,380 towards the cost of the project from the Australian Government's TQUAL Grants program.
The project was organised by the National Tourism Alliance to tackle the shortage of skilled workers in the tens of thousands of Australian tourism and hospitality businesses.
"The Discover Tourism careers portal is one way we can address the difficulties we see in our labour market," Minister Ferguson said.
"It is an entry point for information on careers in the industry – matching the willing with the able.
"The portal is a one-stop-shop for career pathways, training opportunities, qualifications required, lifestyle elements with real-life insights and job profiles as well as state and regional-specific content covering the many sectors of the industry."
The portal describes the different kinds of jobs available, and where they are located. The site also matches employers with employees by linking people with the Discover Jobs site, which has been designed specifically for jobs in tourism and hospitality.
The website is supported by a CD-ROM, an interactive resource for schools, employment agencies and tourism bodies. The CD is especially useful in places where internet coverage is limited.
"Tourism GDP last financial year was around $34 billion - the industry has a direct impact on Australia's prosperity," Senator Sherry said.
"It's imperative we attract people with the right skills and that's something the 40,000 or so businesses represented by the Alliance understand very well.
"To date, the Australian Government has allocated more than $8 million as part of the TQUAL Grants program and we are making available a further $40 million to tourism operators through this important program."
TQUAL Grants supports projects that improve the supply side of Australia's tourism industry. More information on TQUAL Grants is available at www.ret.gov.au/tqual or by calling 13 28 46.