New report highlights key employment and education trends in regional Australia

Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has released a landmark report analysing the unique challenges and opportunities shaping the workforce in regional Australia. The Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia Phase 1 provides critical insights into how education, training and employment systems can better meet the needs of communities beyond metropolitan centres.

The report sets out the challenges and opportunities for the regional labour market, including how education and training participation is supporting its worker needs.

Regional Australia currently has its highest ever rate of people aged 25–54 in the workforce, at 85.4 per cent. However, more needs to be done to encourage people aged 18–24 into higher education or the workforce, which is a key focus of the report.

“That’s a significant increase and one that does need to be considered when discussing the bigger picture in terms of Australia’s future productivity,” said JSA Commissioner Professor Barney Glover.

“Because if that younger group of people about to enter the prime workforce of 25–54-year-olds is becoming less engaged in both employment and education, we’re looking at a risk to maintaining that level of participation and productivity as a result,” Professor Glover said.

“That’s why our Regional Roadmap places a strong emphasis on breaking down the barriers to regional Australians in education, training and employment.”

These barriers are varied and often interconnected, ranging across financial challenges, lack of digital connectivity and limited access to childcare, transport and affordable housing, with disability and health issues also playing a part. The language, numeracy and digital skills learnt in primary and secondary school can also present a substantial barrier when not acquired to a sufficient skill level.

The Roadmap also sets out a range of emerging areas of focus and opportunity for regional Australia, from using centralised hubs for students and jobseekers, to developing more comprehensive, frequent and useful data.

“This Roadmap is a big step towards making sure the jobs and skills system in regional Australia helps individuals achieve their goals,” Professor Glover said.

JSA is inviting public feedback on the report until 2 October 2025, with input to help shape Phase 2 of the roadmap.

The full report and submission details are available here.