The Government will hold a one-day forum next month to discuss how Australia can build on its outstanding record of economic growth and job creation in recent years, and best position our nation to benefit from the changing global economy.
The Future Jobs Forum, to be held in Parliament House on October 6, will bring together around 80 representatives and experts from business, unions, government and academia.
The global economy is changing. Technology is changing. The world is moving to clean energy. Our demographics are changing. Each of these poses challenges - but each of them also offers us the opportunity to create new jobs and prosperity.
The Government believes it's important to discuss the opportunities and challenges our economy faces in the years ahead as we look to build on our already strong foundations. This will involve responding to the patchwork pressures currently facing our economy.
The major agenda items at the forum will be:
* The changing structure of the Australian economy
* Drivers of job creation and investment
* Manufacturing: the next decade
* Adapting to the high dollar
* Seizing new opportunities through innovation, competition and effective partnership.
The forum will take place in the same week as the Tax Forum and have a complementary focus on supporting growth across the Australian economy.
While the mining boom and the transformation of Asia are delivering tremendous benefits to our nation, they are also bringing challenges, with the high Australian dollar making conditions tougher for our trade-exposed industries.
Different sectors and regions are growing at different speeds. Even within sectors, like the services sector, some areas - like tourism and international education - are facing particular challenges.
The Government is already implementing many reforms to deal with the pressures in our changing economy. Investing in skills and training, building new infrastructure like the NBN, better taxation of the mining sector, and putting a price on carbon are all about setting Australia up for the challenges of the future.
The forum will look at further ways to best position our economy for the years ahead and how to best spread the benefits of strong growth to all corners of our patchwork economy.
Attendance at the forum will be by invitation and the Government will release further information on the program in due course.