Australia’s latest Federal Budget reinforced something WA already knew… the resources sector continues to underpin the national economy.
As highlighted by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy WA, “Mineral and energy exports were the bedrock of the Budget surpluses delivered in 2023 and 2024 and our commodities continue to provide the foundations for future success.” Said CME Chief Executive Officer Aaron Morey.
Higher commodity prices have helped strengthen government revenue, and the Budget’s focus on approvals reform, fuel security and regional infrastructure sends the message that major projects across WA are continuing to move forward.
But getting projects approved is only part of the picture. The next challenge is having ‘boots on the ground’ to actually deliver them.
Across mining, infrastructure and energy, the follow-up question now needs to be “How do we find, engage and retain the workforce needed to make these projects happen?”
And that challenge goes beyond recruitment. It requires:
- Strong compliance and onboarding infrastructure
- Skilled migration pathways
- Scalable contingent workforce capability
- Faster mobilisation models
- Smarter workforce planning
- Regional workforce solutions that work in practice
“As WA’s project pipeline continues to grow, workforce capability is becoming one of the biggest operational challenges facing the industry,” said Neil Merola.
“Businesses that can access skilled talent quickly, compliantly and at scale will be in the strongest position to keep projects moving.”
As project activity continues to increase across WA, workforce strategy plays a much bigger part in successful project delivery.
We’re seeing our clients start workforce planning discussions much earlier in the project lifecycle, because having access to the right workforce is quickly becoming a key factor in whether projects move ahead successfully.