The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to supporting the manufacturing sector on the North-West Coast and across the State to create and retain jobs.
Last week’s Advanced Manufacturing Summit, held in Burnie with more than 140 attendees from industry, peak bodies and government, heard that in order to remain competitive, industry needs to be supported to collaborate, invest and innovate.
One of the consistent themes discussed at the Summit was the need for appropriate skills and training.
The Government has heard this message and, as an immediate response, we have approved the release of a $250,000 tender request for training specific to the advanced manufacturing sector.
The tender will be advertised on Saturday 30 May and will be finalised by the end of June, with training to commence at the beginning of the 2015-16 financial year.
We want to support this important industry to innovate, to compete and to grow by upskilling the workforce and investing in the capacity of the sector.
The Government has also committed to developing and formalising a new Tasmanian Advanced Manufacturing Strategy, and the conversations that took place at the Summit will be an important piece in informing that Strategy.
We will also continue to look for ways to support industry on the North-West to diversify, while retaining its strong capability, underpinned by a skilled and reliable labour force.