• Growth Tank founder David Willey.
    Growth Tank founder David Willey.
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Youth marketing and recruiting experts shared some surprising insights on Gen Z workers at the NextGen Breakfast Forum this morning at AUSPACK 2019.

By 2025, Generation Z will comprise more than a quarter of the Australian workforce, and Growth Tank founder and a youth marketing expert David Willey shared his insights on how to connect with this important group.

Gen Z members prioritise positive workplace and culture higher than financial benefits, and place a higher importance on job security and fair pay than their millennial counterparts.

To make this group happy and productive, WIlley says, companies will need to be seen to be ethical, offer clear and structured career progression, and offer them personal (in addition to professional) development opportunities that help them grow as an individual.

They also value regular feedback, flexibility and work-life balance, he says. “Understanding that your employee’s life is more important than their work is key.” 

Presenter PWC Australia’s Justin Ling said the company uses more digital channels than ever to recruit and engage with its younger recruits.

He also noted that alternative pathways to employment are growing, and he predicted that school leaver recruitment will overtake graduate recruitment within five years.

Food & Drink Business

The Victorian government has invested $160,000 to support the sustainability and profitability of the state’s wine industry, matched by $240,000 from Wine Australia. The funds will help Wine Victoria to provide the wine industry with the knowledge, tools and resources needed to improve practices and outcomes.

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The recent innovation forum hosted by the Australian Marketing Institute and research company, T Garage, examined the reality for the rapidly evolving landscape of consumer goods that innovation is now table stakes. Experts from three of Australia's Top 100 food and drink companies shared their experiences and confirmed innovation is not just a corporate strategy, but a mindset permeating personal and professional life.