The jobs market continues to rebound, with many employers likely to be feeling relieved by the news that JobKeeper will be extended (albeit at a more targeted, lower rate) for six months. But Victoria is already feeling the effects of the second lockdown, with job add volumes slowing compared to the other states and territories.
The latest SEEK employment report for the month of June shows job ads are up by 41.5 per cent month on month.
The figures are edging closer to former Covid levels but are still down 32.8 per cent compared to the same time last year.
The “tradie-led recovery” looks to be in full swing, with the “trades and services” making the largest contribution to month-on-month job ad growth at 51 per cent. This category is followed by “healthcare & medical” at 34 per cent and then “hospitality & tourism” at 80 per cent, which is good news for these non-essential sectors that have suffered so severely under lockdown restrictions.
SEEK ANZ managing director Kendra Banks suspects that this upswing will be short-lived in metropolitan Melbourne as the state re-entered lockdown in early July.
Job movements
A heavy weight of Australia’s sustainability movement, Professor John Thwaites, has been appointed to The Lancet COVID-19 Commission, which has been assembled to speed up global, equitable and last solutions to the pandemic.
The chairman of Monash University’s Sustainable Development Institute and climate change think tank ClimateWorks is the only Australian on the commission, which is made up of 26 scholars, public health professionals, environmentalists and policy makers. It will be chaired by professor Jeffrey Sachs, the director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
Core to its mandate will be spreading the word about effective tactics for suppressing transmission and making sure any new Covid-19 vaccines or medications are equitably accessed across the world.
Dr Sarah Hill will finish up as the Greater Sydney Commission’s inaugural chief executive officer to take a job as chief executive officer of the new Western Parkland City Authority.
The new authority was set up to oversee the development of what will be one of Sydney’s “three cities” as per the “metropolis of three cities” plan that Dr Hill helped create during her four years at the helm of the GSC.
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has a new chair to replace out-going Martijn Wilder who had completed his tenure (and will speak at our Flick the Switch event on 5 August). Justin Punch has been appointed to chair of the board.
At the moment, Mr Punch is the chair of the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust, which works with Indigenous ranger groups to manage land conservation and sustainability projects.
Despite appointing a new chair, the clean energy agency is due to end its funding soon. There have been calls from industry groups such as the Clean Energy Council to extend its funding.
Architecture practice DesignInc Melbourne has appointed Darryl Suttie to the newly created position of principal. Mr Suttie has two decades of experience under his belt, including as a senior associate at DesignInc for six years.
Mark McKenna has been promoted to global sustainability director at global engineering consultancy NDY. Mr McKenna has been working in sustainability roles at the company for almost nine years, and is the architect of its recent carbon neutral commitment.
Our pick of the jobs, a Melbourne-focused edition
Despite Victoria’s lockdowns, there are some great sustainability roles going in the state.
Bunnings is one business that hasn’t done too badly out despite Covid disruptions, with lockdowns turning many people into DIY enthusiasts overnight.
The hardware giant is now on a hiring blitz to boost its sustainability team and is looking to recruit an energy and carbon manager and a circular economy manager.
The energy and carbon manager will develop and manage energy and carbon strategies, with experience in Power Purchase Agreements highly regarded.
The circular economy position is for someone capable of leading the group’s waste management and product stewardship initiatives, which includes looking at end-to-end packaging for its products.
The hunt for new sustainability recruits follows an announcement last month that the Wesfarmers-owned company would be discontinuing all sourcing of timber from VicForests, and committing to only sourcing timber products from legal and well managed forest operations.
Both jobs are based in Melbourne and will be well-suited to handy individuals looking to take advantage of the team member and partner discount on offer.
The Energy Efficiency Council is looking to fill a short-term 11 month role (with a view to extend) as senior project officer.
The position, based in Melbourne but remote to start with, will involve work on a range of business engagement, bespoke research and sector development projects on the horizon for the not-for-profit membership association.
Energy procurement & compliance services company Schneider Electric is seeking a sourcing analyst (energy procurement analyst) to work with the Melbourne-based sourcing team that serves Australia and New Zealand sites. The company helps its clients reduce their energy spend & improve their energy efficiency.