Tom Quinn will be part of the UTAS Future of Work in Northern Tasmania forum at Inveresk on Thursday night and said the state was well-placed to withstand an evolving environmental sector.

“Tasmania has a tight-knit community and it will be to handle the rapid rise in consumer demand for sustainable energy products throughout the next few years,” he said.

“If people embrace the change rather than try to fight it, then the state could be in a better position than most.”

The impact of climate change on the workforce will form part of a panel discussion, with a focus on the skills likely to be needed in the future. Mr Quinn said people needed to be conscious of the direction their industry was heading.

“It’s important people realise these changes are a matter of ‘when’, not ‘if’,” he said. “This is about starting the conversation.”

The Future of Work in Northern Tasmania forum will be held at Annexe Theatre at 6pm.