State CAA Programs & DEEWR Youth Programs Network meeting, Tamar Valley Resort, Launceston 27/28 April 2009

A two day meeting was held in Launceston which provided a chance for all to meet new staff members, network and find out what others are doing as projects for this year.

We had some great guest speakers as well, who inspired us.

Simon Lawrence, Deputy State Manager, DEEWR, spoke to us about the new employment services coming inot being after 30th June this year.
Steve Brown, Deputy State Manager, DEERW, provided us with an Indigenous program update
Esme Murphy, Manager - Children and Youth Team, DEEWR gave a brilliant presentation on Young People in the 21st Century, which proved she really has researched her subject.
Anne Saunders, Tasmanian Polytechnic, lead a discussion about Polytechnic and Skills Institute
Professor David Adams, newly created position of Social Inclusion Commissioner Tasmania gave a presentation on social inclusion and its impact on young people.

As well, Trish Males (YP) spoke about their program, as did Sheryl Thomas, and the YouthLinx staff from various YL groups around the state.

All is all, an extremely interesting and informative two day conference.

CDAA Conference, Grand Hyatt, Melbourne. Wed 15th April - Friday 17th April 2009

Pictured above are LCP staff members, from left, Christian, Vija and Matt, and RICA Helen, dining out Japanese-style at a restaurant near our hotel

All staff in LCP as well as RICA travelled to this worthwhile conference in Melbourne after Easter.

A comprehensive number of guest speakers and workshops were provided, and I think we all got a lot out of attending. Speakers of note for me were Tim Costello, CEO World Vision, and Sue Seawright from the Centre for Adult Education.
I attended the following workshops:
From Chaos to Calm - organising careers events that make a difference - Karen Penrose, Career Industry Council of Australia (CICA)
Kate Southam On-the-couch with Smart Educators. Kate Southam is the syndicated Career writer whose articles are featured every Saturday in The Mercury Positions Vacant column.
Career Writing: what's involved & how to manage the process from idea to publication - Julie Farthing, Career Dimensions, Vic
Meeting the needs of small to medium business - Attracting and retaining the right staff - Cecile Riddle, Prime Performance, Vic
Partnerships don't happen by magic - Andrew Worrall & Helen Nowosilskyj, LCP SA

All workshops were good, but the final one by the LCP from SA was excellent.
Next years is in Adelaide, and I hope to be able to attend, if this one was anything to go by.

Mining, Energy and Construction news

Dear Industry Colleagues,

As always I would like to promote some positive news that you may not have heard of as yet. Coal contracts are in place with other commodities to follow shortly. People are now getting on with the business of mining and construction.Mining and Construction related Activity.

BHP Billiton recently presented the EIS for its plans to expand Olympic Dam from oxide output to up to 19,000tpa. "Exporting uranium to new customers like China will be an integral part of creating value from the Olympic Dam ore body," said Dean Dalla Valle, COO for the company's Uranium Australia unit. Some analysts have suggested the expansion could cost as much as $20B.

Aurox Resources has received environmental approval for its WA iron ore project. The project is to mine and process up to 10.1mtpa of magnetite ore over a 15 year mine life.

Focus Minerals has announced the appointment of Como Engineers for the refurbishment and re-commissioning of its Three Mile Hill Treatment Plant in WA. The contract comprises a $16.965M fixed price contract. The development will increase processing capacity to underpin its objective of increasing production to over 100,000 ounces pa by 2011. The project is scheduled to commence by the end of April 2009 and it is expected that commissioning will occur in late Dec 2009.

Lihir Gold has reported a record first quarter gold output of 318,000 ounces. Total cash costs during the first quarter fell to $US329 an ounce, down 7% on the quarter. Unit costs are expected to stay below $US400 an ounce for the year with lower industry cost pressures, weaker oil prices and a softer Australian dollar contributing to reduce costs. Lihir’s million ounce plant upgrade at Lihir Island continues on schedule and on budget.

Red Rock Resources says it has purchased a $200,000 mobile gold treatment plant from Resource Gold Proprietary and plans to buy a second. The unit is a turnkey gravity plant and smelter which will be built at its factory in Perth.

Syngas has confirmed it plans to continue developing a $3B on-site coal mining operation and premium diesel processing plant in Port Clinton, SA. The company predicts the plant will produce 15,800 barrels of diesel/day over a mine life of 33 years and create 380 full-time jobs, with up to 1,500 jobs to be available during construction. Syngas says it has completed the prefeasibility study and is now commencing a full feasibility study, which will take until around 2012, with full operation to commence in 2015.

Gunson Resources has reconsidered its decision to build a zircon processing plant in China after it has received recommendations that WA is cheaper. One of the three engineering firms competing for the Coburn mineral sands plant tender suggested the separation plant be built near the mine. The company says it has been told that it could save money in supervision and engineering costs during construction. It would also have increased control over product quality and flexibility in marketing to non-Chinese customers. The firm added that there would be a simplification of cash flow and tax accounting if the plant were to be built in WA. A final decision on the preferred contractor is expected in June 2009

OZ Minerals increased production at its Prominent Hill copper and gold mine processing plant. The miner expects to deliver about 600t of concentrate/day, six days a week, with copper concentrates to be shipped to smelters across Asia, starting from late April 2009.The miner says the operation has now reached the planned production rate of around 80% and is expected to reach its nameplate rate by the end of 2009

Meanwhile the Aus. Federal Govt has given China Minmetals the green light to pay $US1.2B to buy OZ Minerals, but made preserving jobs a condition of approval. To approval excludes Prominent Hill mine from the sale on the grounds of national security. The list of conditions on the purchase stipulate that Minmetals will need to operate the mines using a predominantly Australian management team, working companies incorporated in Australia and maintain and increase indigenous employment.

Fortescue Metals investment by Hunan Valin Iron and Steel's has been approved by the Aus. Federal Govt. The $1.2B investment has strict criteria on what the Chinese firm could do.
Atlas Iron has announced that it is looking for a partner to develop its Ridley magnetite project in WA. The $3B plan will include an open-pit mine capable of producing 15mtpa and generating EBITDA of $535M a year for more than 30 years. The company has conducted a prefeasibility study which found the bulk of the $2.97B capital cost, which includes $250M in contingency, is for the minerals processing plant which is estimated to cost around $986M.

Ensham is progressing with the $120M trial underground coal mine, part of a $1B investment to form the Ensham Central expansion project. The mine's planned transition from open cut to highwall, to board and pillar, and eventually a $700-800M underground operation exporting eight to 10mtpa. The gradual shift to board and pillar, to go into development in the second half of 2010, would see 40% of the available coal mined at a depth of 120-130m before underground mining commenced between 80 and 220m.

Whitehaven Coal has locked in its coal contract pricing for the coming year as it continues to make progress on its Narrabri project, which is expected to reach first coal in the December quarter

Macarthur Coal remains focused on the thermal coal market, with the global steel slump slashing metallurgical coal sales in the first three months of the year, while advancing the Moorvale Underground and Middlemount projects

Aquila Resources has retained its determined coal developer status this year with work forging ahead on its prospective Queensland longwall developments

Felix Resources strode a strong development path in the March quarter, moving the new Yarrabee coal preparation plant towards commissioning and seeking approvals for a new open cut area and additional underground mine at Moolarben. GRD Minproc has been awarded a contract for the design of the materials handling areas at its Moolarben coal project.

Indonesia plans to issue a presidential decree to allow miners to carry out underground mining in its protected forest, a government official said on Tuesday, alarming green groups. The decree, which is expected to benefit dozens of mining firms, clarifies Indonesia's forestry law issued in 1999 that prohibited open-pit mining in protected forest areas but did not specify whether underground mining was permitted. "The presidential decree will give legal basis so that underground mining is allowed in protected forest areas," Bambang Setiawan, DG of mineral, geothermal and coal at the country's energy ministry, told reporters. "It will encourage miners to carry out exploration to find new mineral resources that are often located in the forest," Marpaung said, adding that U/G was suitable for Indonesia with mineable nickel reserves of 547 million tonnes, 112 million tonnes of bauxite and 43 million tonnes of copper.

Santos has submitted its draft EIS for its planned Gladstone LNG project in Qld.Commodities News

AUSTRALIA had a seasonally adjusted trade surplus of $A2.11B for February, up 128% from January, but price falls in annual contracts for coal exports and expected falls in iron ore contracts are expected to kick in for April.

Australia's export earnings from energy and mineral resources rose 10% a record $47.3B in the December quarter of last year, export earnings for iron ore and coking and thermal coal had been high. The positive effect on export unit returns from the depreciation of the Australian dollar, resulted in substantial increases for metallurgical coal (34%) and thermal coal (41%), refined nickel class (77%), liquefied natural gas (LNG), thermal coal, diamonds and alumina, mined tin (362%); mined silver (21%); diamonds (12%); crude oil and condensate (8%); and mined zinc (6$).

Leading stainless producers in Taiwan reported substantially improved sales in April, kindling hopes that the market has at least touched the bottom, if not yet started to rebound. Yieh United Steel Corp. the largest integrated stainless steel mill in SEA with an annual capacity of 1 million metric tons -- indicated that thanks to rising international nickel prices, its stainless steel supply in April is expected to reach 70,000 metric tons.Most producers said they believe that as long as nickel prices remain above US$10,000 per metric ton in May and June, their monthly revenues in the second quarter will continue to recover. Stainless-steel producers use about two-thirds of global nickel supplies, as the alloy contains up to 9 percent nickel, which accounts for about half of total stainless-steel production costs.

Coal Seam Gas, Origin Energy Ltd which plans to build a major gas export facility, has entered a conditional agreement to acquire a coal seam gas (CSG) exploration permit for A$660M. Origin is in a joint venture with U.S. energy major ConocoPhillips (COP.N) to build a A$35B LNG export facilities using coal seam gas. The project is targeted to produce 3.5 million tonnes of LNG in 2014, with the potential to increase output to 14 to 16 million tonnes a year in later phases. As many as eight proposed LNG projects in Queensland are vying to boost their CSG reserves to underpin ambitions to export the fuel. Global players including Malaysia's Petronas and Britain's BG Group have poured about A$22B into Australia's coal seam gas companies since last year to secure reserves to feed a global rise in LNG demand.

Teck Cominco reported $US63M of positive provisional pricing gains in its copper division in the March quarter. Its copper and zinc divisions returned to profitability after losses in the December quarter.

Nickel prices have rallied strongly since the end of March, rising by over 30% from around USD 9,400/t to USD 12,300/t. The price has exhibited a certain amount of stability since late 2008, reflecting the fact that plunging demand has been offset by a constant stream of production cut announcements. During the past month, the price of nickel on the London Metal Exchange (LME) has risen from about $US9,500/t to $US10,755/t.The International Monetary Fund, IMF, has been authorised by the G-20 leaders to sell gold to assist poor countries, is sitting on reserves of the yellow metal of 3,217T, valued at USD 95B.The IMF, the third-largest official holder of gold in the world, has been directed by the G-20 leaders at their recent summit in London to generate additional resources by selling gold to provide USD6B concessional loans to low-income nations over the next 2 to 3 years. The US has the largest official reserves of gold in the world (over 8,000t), followed by Germany at around 3,400t. According to the IMF, the market value of its 103.4 million ounces (3,217t) of gold was USD95.2B on as on February 20, 2008. The IMF has also been directed by G-20 leaders to come up with concrete proposals for gold sale at the spring meetings to be held in Washington on April 25-26.The proposal to sell 403.3t of the Fund's gold, said IMF Survey online, was agreed on last year as part of a plan to bolster the income of the multilateral organisation.Other activity

A $1.1B contract has been awarded by the Qld Govt to a consortium led by Leighton and the Commonwealth Bank for the design, construction and ongoing maintenance of seven new schools. The work will be carried out by the consortium, called Aspire Schools, as part of the state government’s South East Queensland Public Private Partnership Schools project. Members of the Aspire Schools consortium include Leighton Contractors, Leighton Services, the Commonwealth Bank, finance brokers Broad Group and the National Australia Bank. Lend Lease said last week it had won two contracts totalling $675M for the construction or upgrade of 380 government schools in NSW as part of the federal government’s economic stimulus plan.

SOME of the world’s largest resource companies have backed the Australian government’s research into carbon capture and storage, with Xstrata Coal, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton and Peabody Energy among those throwing support behind an institute launched this week
From left field 10 US retailers pulled impressive revenue numbers out of this unlikely hat. Amazon, Family Dollar, GameStop and select group of successfully weathered the economic storm and recently reported strong financial performances despite the global recession.
Amazon: The world's biggest online retailer reported sales growth of 18% to $4.89B in its first quarter. Sales of electronics and other general merchandise grew a whopping 38% to $2.05B.
RadioShack: The electronics chain reports net sales increased 5.6% to $1B, for its first quarter ended March 31, 2009, up from $949.0M reported a year ago. Same-store sales increased 5%. The chain attributes strong sales of its digital converter boxes, postpaid wireless and flat-panel televisions.

Jos A. Bank: Menswear retailer saw sales jump 15.2% to $695.9M in its latest fiscal year, while same store sales grew 8.9%. With no outstanding debt, extraordinary management practices and an increased effort to expand its marketing and promotions, Jos A. Bank is currently one of apparel's biggest success stories.

Dollar General: Discount chain reports sales of $2.85B in its fourth quarter, up 11.2% from the year-ago quarter. Same-store sales increased 9.4% in the quarter, with increases in both customer traffic and the average transaction. Dollar General also plans to add 4,000 jobs in 2009 to support its plans to open 450 stores.

Hibbett: The sports chain reports that net sales for its fiscal year ended January 31, 2009, increased 8.4% to $564.2M compared with $520.7M for its fiscal year ended February 2, 2008. The retailer is on tap to open as many as 70 new stores in fiscal year 2010. In fiscal year 2009, Hibbett opened 69 stores.

SalesSometimes prospect tells us things which we feel border on untruths. With that in mind, I thought it would be useful to go over some common lines that customers give us — and give some advice on how to react.

“We don’t have the budget.” This is shorthand for “we have budget money assigned to other projects that are considered higher priority.”

Your best response: Through questioning and conversation, gather information about where money is currently being spent. Once you’ve discovered what’s funded and why, reposition your offering and the value it provides so that it becomes higher priority than the budget items that are currently funded.

“Send me the information/brochure and I promise to read.” They’re either trying to get rid of you, or they’re being nice.

Your best response: Use your brochure to sit down with the customer to explain your positioning. Make FACT sheets to promote your specific product/service relating to that customer/segment. Hit the point early. People tend not to read general blurbs.

“I am the sole decision-maker.” The customer contact wants to hide the fact that he really can’t make a decision without consulting others.

Your best response: Ask about the specific reporting structure and gently probe to find out the “stakeholders” who “influence” the decision. Read between the lines and you’ll probably be able to figure out which people actually have to be “sold” in order for a deal to go through.

“Your competition is offering a better price.” They want you to drop your prices.

Your best response: You do the same as you would if the competitor actual WERE cheaper. You position your offering, and the privilege of working with your company, as being of massively higher value than working with your competitor.

Mining Equipment and Services News

Thoma & Coffey’s Gladstone engineering projects team has been working with SNCLavalin and SKM to upgrade the Boyne Smelter cranes and runways. The SSJV is delivering the work in 3 phases - Crane Assembly Workshop (CAW), Runway Upgrade Platform (RUP) and Runway Upgrade work. Thomas & Coffey’s first portion of the work saw the construction of a new crane assembly area to hold the 12 new cranes. The second phase was to use this workshop for the assembly of the Runway Upgrade Platform (RUP) which was completed in March 2009.This third phase, crane rail replacement and runways upgrade is currently underway. Over seven km of crane rail will be replaced on two one-km long aluminium smelter lines as part of this work.
Sedgman has been awarded a $A50M contract for the design and construction of a new coal handling plant in Chile.

Bluescope Steel is upgrading its sintering plant at Port Kembla. BlueScope Steel, Thomas & Coffey and Hatch are working together to trial assemble a new $1.7M sinter cooler measuring 40m in diameter.

KBR Incorporated has reported a 4th Q 2008 net income of $88M, up 23.9% year over year, on strong revenue across the board, especially in the Services business unit. Net income for the year totaled $319 million, compared with $302 million in 2007. Their largest project is a $12 billion grassroot refinery in Saudi Arabia.

Noja Power has been awarded a contract for the design, manufacture, test and delivery of low-voltage motor control centres for the X50 phase of the Abbot Point Bulk Coal Terminal upgrade, expected to be completed by mid-2010...

Bucyrus International announced 1st Q net income rose 39%.

Marketing
Here is a list of some of the most common and costly marketing mistakes made by companies today.

Putting your operational needs before those of your customers - There are a wide range of choices and options available to customers today. One of the key things customers value is flexibility, and if your operational procedures cannot provide the flexibility to meet changing customer needs, then their business will go elsewhere. Remember, customers are the reason you are in business, and hence your policies and procedures should be designed with the customer's needs in mind, not just the needs of your staff.

Promoting features over benefits - Customers do not buy services, they buy solutions. Tell them what you can do for them and what benefits they will gain.
Assuming your audience understands what you offer - Your customers are not likely to understand the intricacies of one product/services over another. They seek advice from you - and the company (sales personnel) who does a better job of explaining each product/service and the options available is the one most likely to have repeat customers.

Communicating too many messages - You have a lot to communicate about your services. However, too many scattered messages cause confusion. Don't try to tell everything in each brochure or advertisement. Focus on one or two key points each time and then point your prospects and customers to a place where they can get more information (like your web site).

A business that is not properly positioned - I am sure in your mind's eye your own business is different than the other competitors in your market. Understanding this difference and being able to communicate it is at the heart of positioning. How you position your business will have a direct impact on the types of customers you attract.

Regards


Michael Lang
Director Strategic Relationships_______________________________________________
SG Partners SALES & BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT STRATEGIC GROWTH
14 Kyabra St, Newstead, Q 4006 GPO Box 2461, Newstead Q 4006
T (07) 3852 5454T 1300 236673F (07) 3852 6282 M 0412 950 972E michael@sgpartners.com.auwww.sgpartners.com.au

______________________________________________________________________

News from our Queensland RICA, Emma Earl

News and views on industry careers and skill needs for
Brisbane North and the Sunshine Coast
RICA Region 29
Issue 7 - Autumn 2009
What’s coming up:
Mentoring Skills the Existing Workforce
and Nurtures New Talent

Australian businesses view formal in-house training and mentoring as the most effective
ways to upskill employees, according to an Ai Group report.
The findings in the Skilling the Existing Workforce project report suggest that we need to
build the internal capability of Australian companies to more effectively train and develop
their employees.

Through the Career Advice Australia initiative,
construction workers on the Sunshine Coast are
supporting youth development while learning
mentoring skills that can be transferred back to the
workplace.

Local Community Partnership SCsILS has partnered
with Integrated Family and Youth Services (IFYS) Inc
to facilitate the ‘Hard Yacca’ mentoring program.

‘Hard Yacca’ links young people in Years 8-10 at Maroochydore State High School with the
building and construction industry. Based largely on schools grounds, ‘Hard Yacca’
participants engage in gardening, landscaping, painting, and small construction projects with
the support of industry mentors.

Industry participants include Bunnings Warehouse, which has supplied resources for the
program as well mentoring support. Third and fourth year apprentices from Acclaim
Apprentices and Trainees are also acting as ‘Hard Yacca’ mentors. For further information on
the program, please contact Hayley Baggieri at SCsILS (phone 0411 809 016 or email
hayleyb@scsils.com.au).

The ‘Hard Yacca’ program is funded by the Department of Education, Employment and
Workplace Relations (DEEWR) under the Mentors For Our Students (MFOS) initiative.

‘Move Over RPA…’
Redcliffe Hospital invites local
media students to film behindthe-
scenes in 2009

Ai Group Reports
Key information from the
Australian Industry Group
‘In the Loop’

Keep up-to-date with snapshots
from current employment and
training research
CAA Movements
Keep track of support in your
local area

Brisbane Career and
Employment Expo and
WorldSkills Competition
(Brisbane Conference and
Exhibition Centre, 8-9 May)

Caboolture Career and
Employment Expo
(Morayfield Community Centre,
25 May)

Institute of Chartered
Accountants ‘Meet the
Business Leader’ Event
(Brisbane Convention Centre,
10 June)


Emma Earl
Emma Earl
Regional Industry Career Adviser
Career Advice Australia

Environmental Snapshot: Sunshine Coast*
Consistent population growth and a thriving tourism industry on the Sunshine Coast have
driven local employment in construction, education, business, and property services.
Manufacturing is the largest employing industry on the Sunshine Coast and generates
approximately 7.3 percent of the region’s GDP

In the inland areas of the Sunshine Coast, agriculture and agricultural processing are key
employers (myfuture, 2007). Sugar, macadamia nuts, pineapples, and other fruits are the
primary produce in these areas.

There is anticipated growth in community services and healthcare. Nambour Hospital is the
region’s major hospital. A new hospital is scheduled to be built by 2015, which will result in
increased local employment opportunities in this sector.

* Information taken from RICA 29 Environmental Scan (2009)


About Career Advice Australia
Career Advice Australia (CAA) is an Australian Government initiative aimed at supporting all young Australian’s aged 13 to 19 in their transitions through school and from
school to further education, training or employment.
The CAA Network comprises two tiers of industry career advice including 10 National Industry Career Specialists and 57 Regional Industry Career Advisers which provide
young Australians with improved access to high quality information on career opportunities in industry and assist Australian Industry address skill needs and engage
in young people’s career development. Other key elements of the CAA Network are the Local Community Partnerships, Youth Pathways and Connections programs. For
more information, visit www.careeradviceaustralia.gov.au

Among other activities the initiative will assist in building bridges between young people and local businesses by:
- establishing Adopt A School programmes,
- supporting increased participation in Structured Workplace Learning programmes, and Australian School based Apprenticeships, and
- providing a range of Career and Transition Support services, involving local businesses wherever possible.

For further
information,
contributions or
feedback:
Emma Earl
Regional Industry Career Adviser
Phone: 0448 852 742
Email: emma.earl@aigroup.asn.au

‘Move Over RPA…’ Ai Group Reports ‘In the Loop’
Redcliffe Hospital is offering students at
Bribie Island State High School the
opportunity to manage a real-world film
project profiling behind-the-scenes work
in hospital operational services in 2009.
Students will produce a 10-minute DVD
to market careers in hospital operational
services to prospective employees. The
DVD will be used by Redcliffe Hospital
as part of their recruitment and training
practices.

It will also raise awareness of careers in
hospital operational services, which
have a low image profile for young
people. Related occupations include
ward assistants, theatre attendants and
dietary aides, and job prospects are
good (myfuture, 2008).

Community and health care services are
key employing industries in Redcliffe
City based on the Hospital and local
aged care facilities. Skills needs in
related industries are expected to
increase in the future as Redcliffe City
has been earmarked by local
government as part of a ‘health
precinct’.

CAA Movements
Your local community partnership (LCP) is
your one-port-of-call for career and transition
support targeting 13-19 year olds.
Tranzitions@Work recently received a
community award for their involvement in
the Coordinated Response to Young People
at Risk (CRYPR) program. For further
information on this achievement, please
click here.

Worklinks Inc’s breakfast forum on 29 April
attracted around 100 attendees who learned
more about building career resilience in
young people.

In Pine Rivers, Youthworks is taking an
increasingly central role coordinating the
Brendale Manufacturing Industry Schools
Partnership Group for 2009.

The Sunshine Coast School Industry
Links Scheme (SCsILS) will be facilitating
an interactive career day for students at
Nambour Hospital in May.

Annette Homann has been advancing
Caboolture Area Schools Industry Links
Scheme (CASILS) as manager since
September. Among their activities is the
Caboolture Career and Employment Expo.

There has been much discussion about
proposed changes to higher education
and the VET sector in the wake of the
Bradley Review of Higher Education.
Comments have included a memo to
Government in relation to the VET
sector by Professor Kenneth Wiltshire
from the University of Queensland’s
School of Business.

‘Memo: Your first initiative must
be to improve career counselling
and advice for young and old
alike’

The following is information from an
Australian Industry Group ‘Economic
Alert’ dated April 2009:
At a national level, the downturn in
economic growth has yet to affect
employment and the unemployment
rate to a similar degree as in previous
recessions.

This reflects the lags between changes
in economic growth and employment
decisions made by firms. On average,
there is roughly a two-quarter lag
between falling economic activity and
falling employment as employers seek
to hold on to until recently scarce
skilled labour until it is clear that
demand has fallen in a sustained way.

Annual economic growth has been
below the 3.0 percent generally
accepted as being required to maintain
a stable unemployment rate since June
2008, when it fell to 2.8 percent down
from a peak growth rate of 4.2 percent
in December quarter 2007. In line with
this, total employment growth has
slowed solidly since mid-2008.

The industry sectors experiencing the
most significant declines over the past
six months are manufacturing, retail
trade, wholesale trade, finance and
insurance, and agriculture.

The strong gainers in employment over
the past six months have been the
property and business services, mining,
t r a nsport and storage, and
communications services sectors. In
addition, the health and community
services sector has seen significant
gains in employment.