There are about 700 unique job types in the Hunter's economy that each require 280 different skill and knowledge sets, a new study of the region's economy shows.
There are also 82 different jobs in the mining sector, which employs 9,300 workers. Eighty per cent of those workers are employed as drillers, miners, metal fitters, machinists and truck drivers.
The study, undertaken by workforce skills analytics company Faethm, considered likely job number changes over the next decade, the increased incorporation of artificial intelligence such as autonomous vehicles and economic scenarios such as changed demand from overseas buyers.
"While uncertainty and technological transformation are par for the course for many industries, we are seeing an acceleration and greater unpredictability in the Hunter," Faethm chief economist Michael Kollo, said.
"Part of the puzzle is ensuring impacted workers can plan their working lives by having access to good quality information early in the piece and giving them practical support to redirect their careers towards different areas of the economy."
The Hunter study, The Canary in the coal mine- a workforce transition path for coal miners, stemmed from a similar project the company did for the South African mining industry.
Read the full article published in the Newcastle Herald 22nd March 2021