The Hodgman Liberal Government is committed to delivering real skills for real jobs to grow the economy and get more Tasmanians in employment.
Today we have launched the Transport and Logistics Industry Workforce Plan 2015 – 2018, which sets out priorities for the sector over the next four years.
With the economy now growing again under the Hodgman Liberal Government, the industry is facing a number of challenges, including increased parcel postage as a result of growing online retail activity. The sector is also having to manage an ageing workforce, which is why this plan focusses on encouraging young people to choose a career in transport and logistics.
Having a highly skilled and efficient workforce is key to the industry reducing productivity costs associated with the increasing use of roads and ports. That’s why it’s so important we invest in workforce development.
Through Skills Tasmania, the Tasmanian Government has actively supported the sector to upskill its workforce to develop and pilot innovative ways of delivering pre-employment programs to better meet industry needs.
We have a long-term Plan to grow the economy and create jobs and a key aspect of our plan is engaging with and investing in our Tasmanian workforce.
We are committed to helping businesses grow by cutting red tape and reducing regulatory burdens and at the same time ensuring Tasmanians have the best possible training and employment opportunities.
We are committed to supporting industries to grow and making sure they have the skilled workforce to do it. That’s why we’ve invested around $400 million in training across the Forward Estimates.
I commend the Transport and Logistics industry in being proactive in investing in workforce development through establishing the Transport and Logistics Industry Workforce Advisory Group who has been instrumental in leading the development of the industry’s workforce plan.
Around 12,800 people work in the Transport and Logistics industry across rail, road, aviation and maritime sectors, with the industry contributing around $1.5 billion to Gross State Product (6.1%).