53 Victorian manufacturers and networks have been awarded with over $10.5 million in grants to boost productivity, create jobs and expand export trade.
The grants were announced under the Coalition Government’s Investing in Manufacturing Technology (IMT) program and the Manufacturing Productivity Networks (MPN) program, each contributing with $6.1 million and $2.1 million, respectively.
Mr Hodgett said the grants further demonstrated the Napthine Government’s ongoing commitment to Victoria’s manufacturing businesses and industry.
“The Coalition Government has outlined a clear vision for job creation in Victoria, and programs such as these which support local manufacturers right around the state are an important component of our Jobs in the 21st Century plan to create 200,000 new jobs over the next four years,” Mr Hodgett said.
“The IMT and MPN grants will create 140 new jobs and transition a further 224 employees to higher value roles, but the real boost to these businesses is in enabling them to increase productivity and become more competitive in what is a tough environment in the manufacturing sector.”
Mr Hodgett said further $2.3 million in grants were offered to 13 Victorian businesses to help them create additional 131 new jobs and transition 32 jobs to higher value roles.
He said the Coalition Government had invested $20.2 million under the ITM program to support 114 companies and further $7.3 million under the MNP program to assist 42 manufacturing networks since the initiatives were launched in 2012.
“This program has created 700 new jobs, transitioned another 730 jobs to higher-value roles and the companies we have supported under our IMT program expect to generate a combined $119 million in new exports. Our MPN program has awarded $7.3 million to 42 manufacturing networks to support them in establishing collaborative initiatives, assisting over 1,120 companies since it was launched,” Mr Hodgett said.
“Building on these grant programs to advance manufacturing, the Coalition Government has announced the $33 billion Jobs in the 21st Century initiative. This includes the $30 million Manufacturing, Innovation and Technology Fund which will help businesses meet the cost of sourcing professional expertise in research, design, engineering and technology.”
The $2.1 million in grants under the MNP program were awarded to Module Manufacturing and Construction Network ($591,565) for the $1.189 million Best Practice and Integrated Solutions for Module Manufacturing and Construction Project and to the Federation of Automotive Products Manufacturers (FAPM) ($295,000) to fund the FAPM Solar Automotive Windows Project.
The IMT grants, which were announced for 33 companies totalling $6.1 million included $250,000 to Dandenong South company ABNote Australasia Pty Ltd, $250,000 to road transport equipment manufacturer MaxiTRANS towards a $1.2 million investment in its Ballarat manufacturing base and $245,700 to grower-owned Goulburn Valley cooperative, Integrity Fruit Pty Ltd in Ardmona to assist with a $982,000 upgrade of its fruit sorting and packing processes.
These initiatives build on Victorian Jobs in the 21st Century program, which commits $274 million to grow Victorian manufacturing, particularly in the high-end and knowledge-intensive sectors such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, food production, nanotechnology and robotics.
The plan will create 200,000 new jobs, 60,000 new apprenticeships and 850,000 new training places.
