Qld pumps A$615m into skills projects
PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland state government on Monday announced a A$615-million investment in skills development to grow the four pillars of its economy, namely resources, construction, agriculture and tourism.
Queensland Education, Training and Employment Minister John-Paul Langbroek detailed the new vocational education and training (VET) plan, that provided a framework for training linked to employment outcomes and heralded a new approach to training investment in Queensland.
“The Queensland government has an ambitious programme of reform to revitalise the VET sector and the 2014/15 Annual VET Investment Plan is crucial to that,” said Langbroek.
“It lays the foundation for a sustainable and responsive sector, to ensure that Queensland’s economy is supported by a first-class training system. It will ensure growth in the four pillars of the economy – tourism, agriculture, resources and construction and increase job prospects as we promised at the election.
“The investment plan outlined a new funding model for government investment in training and provided for greater transparency in government decision-making, he said.
“One of its highlights is the introduction of full contestability by July 1, giving greater student choice and industry-guided investment in training. Key elements include the government investing A$225-million in the training of apprentices and trainees through User Choice, part of our commitment to create an extra 10 000 apprenticeship commencements.
“We will also invest A$155-million to support Queenslanders without a formal qualification to achieve their first post-school certificate III level qualification, which is considered entry-level for employment in most industry sectors.”
Langbroek said industry and employers would also have the opportunity to partner with government on training solutions to address their workforce needs in priority areas, through a A$10-million industry partnership strategy.
“Our pre-qualified supplier network will lead to greater choice for individuals and employers and foster greater innovation and competition in the training market in Queensland,” he said.
“These programmes will help achieve our government’s aim of economic and social prosperity for all Queenslanders, by boosting productivity, increasing the number of people in the workforce and minimising skills shortage.”
The Queensland government investment in skills comes shortly after resource consulting firm ManpowerGroup indicated that there had been some positive growth in the demand for skilled workers in Queensland, specifically for those in the resources sector.
“There is positive growth for contract roles across oil and gas, and coal seam gas projects. Coal remains flat with minimal movement as a result of high commodity prices,” Lincoln Crawley, MD for ManpowerGroup and Experis Australia and New Zealand said last week.
“Demand for civil and structural engineers is also relatively strong and will likely be sustained throughout the second half of the year, due to a spike in commercial construction and the residential housing market as a result of low interest rates, high house prices and good auction rates.”
Crawley noted that highly skilled engineers remained difficult to find.
“Overall, employers in the Queensland resource market are looking towards making new hires, with many looking for signs of confidence to get projects off the ground after the new financial year,” he said.
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