On Friday I was lucky enough to attend the ‘Skilling the Bay’ forum.
What is Skilling the Bay I hear you asking…… Well, it’s a regionally driven, jobs of the future project led by The Gordon and delivered in partnership with Deakin University and the State Government. Skilling the Bay have been working behind the scenes for 4 years to help improve workforce participation and get people ready for what is to come.
What did I learn from this fantastic forum?
Most importantly, I learned that our Resume Queen Christina is truly multi –talented. Not only is she articulate on paper, she is just as great on camera. She was the stand –out star of the Skilling the Bay initiatives video. Good to know as we start to explore our own video content!
Seriously though, the forum was fascinating and I think there were some very valuable takeaways (other than Christina’s star quality) which I’d like to share with you.
Firstly
Turns out there are still a lot of people who are unable to navigate the digital world confidently or in some cases, at all. This world isn’t going anywhere so that skill gap needs to be closed. The good news is Geelong actually have a digital engagement strategy and there are already some great supports in place.
- The library can help – they have advisors you book in with who will teach you the foundation skills you need to start you off in the right direction.
- Neighbourhood houses have low or no cost computer training and digital literacy programs and a whole lot of other programs too.
Secondly
There is this ‘thing’ called the Gig economy which is also quickly becoming the norm. Some of you may have already felt its influence. Maybe by choice or maybe not, more and more of us are making our living working multiple ‘gigs’ rather than being in full-time, ongoing employment. Some of my second point is driven by the first point. Did you follow that? Navigating the gig economy requires a slightly different skill & mind set to a traditional career pathway.
You need to:
- Get your digital on! If you’re not a digital native get to your local neighbourhood house to see what’s on offer.
- Become an innovator and be constantly learning to stay at the top of your game.
- Be actively creating, looking for and identifying the opportunities that are right for you.
- Be self-managing and directing. Learn to set and accomplish goals independently.
- Market yourself! Be constantly showcasing and improving whatever it is you do.
Most importantly, you need to be adaptable and resilient to make the most of the Gig economy.
Written by our valiant captain, Tanya. If you have a story to share about your experiences within the Gig Economy, we’d love to hear from you.
The Gordon Skills & Jobs Centre 