Region welcomes new funding confirmation and Chair of Regional Jobs Committee program.

Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) has been confirmed as the Greater Whitsundays host organisation for the Queensland Government’s Regional Jobs Committee program until June 2025.

The Queensland Government has established 12 Regional Jobs Committees (RJC) across the state to ensure regional communities are connected to workforce and skilling opportunities.

Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) Chief Executive Officer Ms Kylie Porter said the Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee program guided a range of important workforce development initiatives across the region including professional development for teachers; innovative competitions for school students and an upcoming best practice people forum at the Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit in May.

“The Greater Whitsunday region has some unique workforce development challenges.  We have a very low unemployment rate coupled with strong employment demand for multiple industries.

“The Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee acts as a reference group to offer industry and community perspective into planned workforce development activities and also provides our region with vital conduit to the Queensland Government,” Ms Porter said.

Ms Carissa Mansfield, Executive General Manager of People and Culture at Nordzuker Mackay Sugar has been appointed as Chair of the Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee and leads a volunteer board of regional industry and community representatives.

Ms Mansfield said she will bring her wealth of experience and fresh thinking as the chair of the Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee, leaning into her 10-year career with Mackay Sugar and her non-executive roles with Mackay Area Productivity (MAPS), Australian Sugar Milling Council and Harrup Park.

“I hope to bring fresh thinking to lead the Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee while supporting education, skills, and training to enhance and diversify our traditional and emerging industries.

 “I look forward to collaborating with the entire Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee to create and foster new initiatives, while building a responsive and capable workforce,” Ms Mansfield said.

Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum said Mackay and the Greater Whitsunday region was at the heart of the biggest decade of infrastructure delivery in Queensland’s history.

“The Miles Government’s Big Build of hospitals, infrastructure, schools, roads, and renewable energy is all go, and the Regional Jobs Committee is critical to ensuring locals share in the jobs and skills benefits that will come with it,” Minister McCallum said.

“Creating more jobs in more industries through the Big Build of the Queensland SuperGrid is a priority for the Greater Whitsunday region, so it’s fitting that the first event facilitated by the Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee is next month’s Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit.

“Drawing upon their extensive network, Greater Whitsunday Alliance (GW3) will make a profound contribution as host organisation of the Regional Jobs Committee – connecting the community to workforce and skilling opportunities, including those aligned with priority industries in the region.”

The Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit - People stream will include a presentation from Department of Employment, Small Business and Training regarding the regional impact and opportunity associated with the Good people. Good jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022-2032 and the Clean Energy Workforce Roadmap; and a presentation from the Clean Energy Council around future employment opportunities in a decarbonisation context.

More information about the Decarbonisation Accelerated Summit People stream can be found on the Decarbonisation Accelerated website.

The Greater Whitsunday Regional Jobs Committee is proudly supported and funded by the Queensland Government.