Jobs

The Australian government has created three new Jobs and Skills Councils (JSC) to help address skills shortages and broader workforce challenges in manufacturing, transport and logistics, mining, and automotive industries. 

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced that publicly owned QBuild has received the green light to double its own trades-based workers – growing QBuild to 1,000 tradies and apprentices by 2026.

Fourteen small and medium-sized Victorian manufacturers will receive a total of $3.2 million in funding through the Made in Victoria – Manufacturing Growth Program to expand their operations and manufacturing capabilities. 

Eighteen Australian universities are offering up to 28 microcredential courses in an effort to address the skills gap in priority industries, which include engineering, renewable energy, and construction. 

Minister for Regional Development Harriet Shing announced the completion of family-owned manufacturing business LV Shade & Shutters’ new dual-purpose hub, which is thrice the size of the previous site and can now accommodate a four-fold increase in production while creating seven new jobs.

South Australian manufacturer Kimberly-Clark Australia (KCA) has inducted 45 employees into its Quarter Century Club, recognising them for 25 years or more of service at the company’s Millicent Mill. 

Among a great number of critical problems exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic over the past three years, Australia is also looking at a future plagued by the lack of enough skilled workers across various industries, such as manufacturing. 

The Queensland Future Skills (QFS) Partnership is paving the way for  Industry 4.0 by offering a new program dubbed, Certificate II in Autonomous Technologies (10935NAT), designed to address the critical skills gap and prepare workers and their employers for the rapidly increasing rollout of inter-connected technology in the industry.

The Queensland government has named engineering firm Downer as the preferred supplier to build and deliver 65 next-generation trains as part of the Queensland Train Manufacturing Program.

The Australian government has invested a total of $830 million to sustain and support the Australian Army’s future helicopter fleet, creating hundreds of jobs in the local industry.