A Little About Ursula

Ursula Stephens is a NSW Labor Senator-  actively involved in the third sector in Australia. Ursula is a strong advocate for social innovation, social entrepreneurship and social inclusion. She mentors social entrepreneurs and supports social enterprises across Australia.

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Future Jobs Forum

How can we build on Australia’s strong record of economic growth and job creation in recent years? How can we best position ourselves to benefit from the changing global economy? What can we do about jobs in this country to ensure that we stay ahead of the game?

These questions will be the focus of a one-day Future Jobs Forum, to be held in Parliament House on October 6. About 80 representatives and experts from business, unions, government and academia will put their heads together to examine the challenges and opportunities facing us as we plan for the future. 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. The Government is already investing in skills and training, building new infrastructure like the NBN, and making financial plans 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 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.