The Caterpillar Transition Taskforce has taken significant steps to provide support for affected Caterpillar workers, transition the advanced manufacturing industry into new areas of opportunity, and support economic development in Burnie.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to work with the community to support local jobs and keep advanced manufacturing capacity on the Coast, including the allocation of $3 million in the State Budget to fund recommendations of the CAT Transition Taskforce.
The Hodgman Liberal Government, in conjunction with the CAT Transition Taskforce, is today announcing the following measures to support the workers, the industry and the region:
Advance Manufacturing Transition Fund
Expression of Interest:
The Advanced Manufacturing
Transition Fund Expression of Interest program will encourage significant
investment and job creation for Tasmania’s North West. Applicants must
be manufacturing businesses and have projects that must generate immediate
and ongoing economic activity. The projects must generate immediate and ongoing economic
activity. The applications will undergo an independent and rigorous assessment.
Applications open on July 13, and close on January 29, 2016. Successful EOI
applicants will be notified within five working days of approval. Up to $2
million will be provided thought the Transition Taskforce funding. We want to
ensure advanced manufacturing has a strong future and continues to support jobs
in Burnie and in the North West; the EOI process will help to achieve this.
Trade Mission to Caterpillar facility in Thailand:
I will lead the
trade mission to Thailand in October, which will be hosted by Caterpillar
Global. Importantly, the Trade Mission will include top tier suppliers to
Caterpillar Burnie and Caterpillar Global. The mission is vital to ensuring
that our key advanced manufacturing representatives are supported in their
engagements with Caterpillar to work towards new opportunities to supply into
the company’s global network. The Government will begin discussions with these
companies this week.
Small Business Loan Facilitation Scheme:
This pilot-scheme, proposed by Member for
Braddon Joan Rylah, will provide a
guarantee to successful applicants of up to 20 per cent of the total principal
required, capped at $50,000, which potentially will unlock loans of up to
$250,000 for individual businesses. With a total portfolio value of $500,000 for a
12-month trial on the North-West and West Coast, the guarantee program could
help realise up to $2.5 million in local economic activity. The program will be run by the TDR board and funded
through their existing loan book. This means that unless there are loan
defaults, the program will come at no cost to the Government.
Today’s announcements are an example of the productive solutions the Transition Taskforce is working towards to support CAT workers and their families, and to ensure the advanced manufacturing sector continues to be a competitive strength.
Earlier this month each CAT employee took part in the first of the CAT Employee Support sessions in Burnie, facilitated by Caterpillar management, Department of State Growth and Australian Department of Employment. These sessions support each individual worker in developing a tailor-made jobs plan to support them in their employment transition, and the Burnie City Council is following up with workers again this week.
These announcements today are in addition to $6,000 the Taskforce previously agreed to provide to the Ulverstone High School Students competing in the F1 in Schools World Finals and encouraging STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) training in schools to assist in career pathways to advanced manufacturing in the region. The international competition will offer an educational experience that no class room can provide.
In total, we have committed up to $2.056 million of the $3 million allocated to the taskforce: up to $2 million for the Advanced Manufacturing Transition Fund Expression of Interest; up to $50,000 for the Trade Mission; $6,000 for the F1 in Schools World Finals.
The Transition Taskforce will consider other ideas and projects as we continue to meet, and we will also monitor the rollout of the support programs over coming months.