The NSW Department of State and Regional Development has developed two new guides, one for businesses and one for community groups in regional NSW, to help attract and retain skilled employees.

The guides provide practical advice on a range of methods that can be undertaken to address local skills shortages.

Overcoming Skills Shortages: A practical guide for regional business helps companies to assess their current recruitment practices in order to attract more skilled employees. It provides case studies and offers suggestions such as considering employing apprentices and trainees. It also looks at the ways in which businesses can offer employees incentives and become an employer of choice to assist retention.

Overcoming Skills Shortages: A practical guide for regional communities provides information on researching skills shortage issues within the local business community and advice on developing effective responses.