New Initiative To Tackle Post-COVID Aus Music Industry Skills Shortage

The past two years have been absolutely brutal for the music industry as it navigates COVID, and the resulting turbulence and uncertainty for its workers has led to an “urgent” skills shortage.

Major Aussie festival player Red Hill Entertainment, which oversees NYE On The Hill, UNIFY Gathering and more, has revealed a multi-year collaboration with creative industries education provider Collarts to tackle that shortage as the industry sets its sights on a long recovery out of the pandemic.

The new initiative will “create employment pathways for the next generation of much-needed music industry professionals”, with Collarts students given the opportunity to gain real-world experience at Red Hill’s events.

A total of 60 roles will be available during the 2022 festival season, while a 12-week internship program with UNIFIED will also be on offer alongside a number of industry sessions.

“We are still finding out what the full extent of the skills shortage is for events this summer, however, our heads of departments in all areas of the business are finding it increasingly hard to fill roles,” Red Hill Entertainment Festival Director Rhett Maclaren told The Music.

“A lot of great talent has been forced to find secure sources of income outside of the industry and will not return due to the instability of the industry. In the short term, there is a skills shortage, and this new partnership with Collarts sees us working with the education sector to get ahead of the immediate labour requirements to bring our events to life.

“If the issue isn’t addressed properly then the industry's recovery will be slower, resulting in young people not viewing the entertainment industry as a sustainable carrier path and may choose to seek alternative options thus prolonging the recovery.”

For more details, head to the Collarts website.