CANBERRA’S experiencing a “skills and workforce crisis” with a large percentage of businesses struggling to find the staff they need, revealed a recent survey from the Canberra Business Chamber. 

The survey found that 70 per cent of Canberra businesses are planning to hire staff, but 85 per cent of these businesses are finding it difficult to find the staff they need.

Canberra Business Chamber CEO Graham Catt said the survey, which involved 165 businesses across a range of sectors, found one of the key drivers involved is a lack of migration to Canberra as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

“We don’t have our international students, we don’t have our working holiday makers or backpackers, we don’t have skilled migrant workers and so that’s having a significantly negative impact,” he said.

“That’s particularly for the hospitality and tourism sectors not only here but around the nation and we’re hearing that from our other chambers of commerce throughout the country.”

In Canberra, Mr Catt said the private sector also continues to struggle to compete with the benefits offered by the public service.

“From a professional career point of view, Canberra is perceived as somewhere that someone would move to drive their career forward through the public service, not the private sector,” he said.

“Both the federal public service and the ACT public service can be a challenge for a small businesses, particularly the ones only employing a few people because they struggle to compete with the salaries, entitlements and amenities that the public service offers.”

He said businesses are frequently and increasingly citing the cost of living as a contributing issue, too.

“We need to talk more generally about affordable housing and what the average worker can afford,” he said.

“One of the challenges businesses have raised when it comes to trying to attract staff here is not only the cost of renting or the cost of purchasing but the heat in those markets as well has created difficulties.

“There’s very clearly a need for social housing, government investment and some thinking about policy settings on how we make that work because while employment is around jobs and employers, it’s also around people’s ability to live somewhere close to their role.”

In light of the situation the Chamber’s recent budget submission called for the ACT government to fund critical sector research and deliver a detailed skills and workforce strategy to support business growth in the capital.

“I think there is room for the government and business to work together on the question of how we market Canberra as a destination for people and how we make sure we’re marketing the fantastic private sector companies here and the opportunities that exist,” he said

“Businesses will be looking to the government in the upcoming budget for initiatives that help us address this crisis in the short term and the long term.”

News all day, every day at CityNews.com.au.