FROM THE CEO
Jacqueline Brinkman , Chief Executive Officer
It is my pleasure to present the latest edition of the EDA Journal which attracted a record number of articles for publication . We appreciate the growing support for this economic development resource by leading practitioners , researchers and thought leaders as well as from our growing readership and advertisers .
This edition covers many of the burning issues which will be discussed in depth at the National Economic Development Conference ( NEDC23 ) in Karratha from August 22-24 . Registrations are now open , with travel subsidies of up to $ 500 available for early birds ( until allocation exhausted ). The training , study tour , conference and social programs ( including the National Awards for Excellence ) provide an immersive professional development experience in one of Australia ’ s most significant regional centres . We hope you can join us for what will be a rewarding and memorable week !
One of the key issues we will be discussing at NEDC is of course , workforce development . In this EDA Journal edition , Ryan James provides an analysis of population change through migration and its impact on labour supply in Australia . Jack Archer ’ s article reviews recent literature as well as Australian and international strategies and insights from workforce strategy development projects undertaken in Australian regions . Jack presents a compelling 5-pronged strategy which can be implemented in any regional area seeking to improve the attraction and retention of critical workers for their regional economy .
Liz Ward provides a summary of research conducted by Navii Digital and its sister company Tourism Tribe , revealing the current state of the online presence and digital capacity of Australian businesses .
John Jung showcases those cities and regions punching above their weight to be named as leaders by the Intelligent Communities Forum ( ICF ) through the Smart 21 Program . ICF helps us all learn from communities that have leveraged their broadband assets for business , investment , workforce , market development and attraction .
In her article , Dr Alexandra ( Ali ) Bec presents a fascinating study which evaluates a regional economic development initiative designed to address the two-speed economy . It showcases the City of Gold Coast ’ s shared-workforce strategy with a business portal at its centre , designed to connect businesses to leverage and enhance workforce resources .
This edition also features Alison McKenzie ’ s insight into the City of Melbourne ’ s efforts to establish a Zero- Carbon Industry and Jobs Cluster . The cluster ’ s aims to drive zero-carbon jobs and economic growth for the City of Melbourne and is part of The City of
Melbourne ’ s commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2040 .
Our colleagues at SEGRA present their vision for the National Summit which represents an exciting new direction for the SEGRA Foundation .
As always , the EDA Journal acknowledges those members who have recently achieved recognition as Australian Certified Economic Developers ( ACEcD ). Since October 2020 , 347 people have participated in the National Training Program with 213 achieving recognition as Australian Certified Economic Developers ( ACEcD ). Congratulations to them all !
We hope you enjoy this edition !
Kind regards ,
Jacqueline Brinkman GAICD Chief Executive Officer Economic Development Australia
VOL 16 NO 1 2023 04 www . edaustralia . com . au