Welcome to 2020!

I hope you all found some time to enjoy a break with your family and loved ones over Christmas and the New Year.

It has been a sad start to 2020 with the terrible bushfires Queensland, NSW, Victoria and South Australia.  The loss of lives, livestock, native animals, houses and native forest is heartbreaking. The volunteer firemen and our nation’s professional emergency have been awe-inspiring.  They all deserve to be Australian’s of the Year! 

We must not forget our farmers who are still devastated by the drought and have, unfortunately, ended up a bit on the back burner with the media. Thankfully, the West has finally received some good rainfalls over recent days.  It is not drought breaking yet, but promising. The monsoon trough has arrived in FNQ with some good down pours.  Fantastic to see!

News in the North 

The job market in our region has had an encouraging start in the New Year with lots of activity and new employment opportunities.

Demonstrating our confidence for the year ahead we have recently increased the size of our team at Precruitment.  We have additional team members in our permanent recruitment, temporary placements and our administration divisions.

Hopefully the recent coronavirus outbreak will be quickly controlled with a vaccine that is expected to be available within months. The virus has already affected our tourism numbers including that all group travel from China has been suspended globally. Our tourism bodies are targeting domestic travellers through their current and upcoming marketing campaigns. At least it is the low season for tourism, hopefully all will be ‘business as usual’ very soon.

Workforce North

I have been involved with Employment Services Groups under various banners and programs for over 20 years including with Workforce North since its inception in 2014.  The Workforce North group is a network of industry representatives, including the employment services sector, employers and training organisations with a focus on strengthening our current and future workforce.  We are presently reviewing our strategic plan and opportunities for employment for 2020.  We will work together to help bring real jobs and positive economic activity to benefit all North and West Queensland communities. I will keep you abreast of planned activities and opportunities as they evolve throughout the coming months and year.

Meet the Recruiter 

For the third occasion, Precruitment will be hosting a Meet the Recruiter evening on February 26th .This excellent initiative is supported by our professional industry body the RCSA, Recruitment Consultant Services Association, is a free service open to all job seekers that would like some one on one time with a professional Recruitment Consultant to assist them with job preparation skills. In the 20-minute session some of the things we help with include job application tips, resume and cover letter guidance, interview preparation and presentation advice, communication advice and effective job search techniques. While consultants won’t be interviewing the candidate for a specific role, it’s an opportunity to get some professional advice and some interview practice. We hope to be able to provide job seekers with the skills and knowledge to support their job search. Look out for our registration invitation for the evening or contact our office for further details of this great community event.

I wish you all a happy, healthy and prosperous 2020.  We look forward to your continued support and working with you throughout the year.