Australia’s top mining associations have welcomed the news that, under a Skills Organisations Pilot announced by the Federal Government, trainees and apprentices will be taught skills that better match the needs of employers in the mining industry.
The Pilot will ensure that trainees and apprentices, particularly those in remote areas, are part of a growing workforce to support the mining industry, as well as the broader Australian economy.
The initiative forms a part of the Government’s $525.3 million skills package, Delivering Skills for Today and Tomorrow, which was announced earlier in the year and is aimed at strengthening Australia’s vocational education and training system.
Through the package, the Government committed to establishing two Skills Organisation Pilots in the priority industries of human services care and digital technologies (including cybersecurity), and is now adding the mining sector to the initiative.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison says the Pilot, co-funded by the Coalition Government and the Mineral Councils of Australia, will ensure more Australians are able to get a highly-skilled job, particularly those in remote areas.
“We need to make sure we are teaching the skills employers are demanding whether they be heavy diesel fitters, automotive electricians, communication technicians or mine engineers.”
“I know that mining is a high-skill, high-wage industry and this is a further statement of confidence in the industry’s future. It recognises mining’s critical role as a creator of job opportunities in regional and remote Australia, including for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians,” Mr Morrison commented.
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia, Matt Canavan, stated that it was critical for Australia to have a well-trained mining workforce.
“Our resources sector is one of the powerhouses of our economy, but it can’t happen without the talented people who make it up,” he said.
Minister Canavan added that creating a nationwide curriculum under this Pilot will help enhance, expand and advance the skills of resources workers, securing the sector’s future for decades to come.
“The technologies to explore our underground are just as technical as those that launch us into space. Australia leads the world in exploration and young Australians don’t need to play Minecraft to dig, they can do it right here in their backyard.”