The Bligh Government is building Queensland’s path to economic recovery and creating an army of more than 250,000 trainees and apprentices to get the job done.
Treasurer Andrew Fraser said the government is investing a record $18.2 billion in infrastructure in 2009-10, and that means investing more money in apprentices and trainees than ever before.
Mr Fraser said a total of $203 million will be spent by the Bligh Government in 2009-10 to fund a range of training initiatives that will support existing apprentices and trainees, and create further commencements this year.
“During the next three years, the government will create 165,000 new apprenticeships and traineeships, in addition to the 90,000 existing positions that we are currently supporting,” he said.
Some of these new positions will be created through the joint state-federal Productivity Places Program, which will support 148,000 new training places.
“Queensland is building, so we need the next generation of tradespeople learning their skills immediately,” Mr Fraser said.
"With an economic downturn, apprentices and trainees are often the first workers to be laid off and we don’t want to end up with a skills deficit when the economy recovers.
“The nation’s skills shortage is still a fresh memory and Queensland won’t be caught flat-footed.
“It’s tragic to see any workers laid off during the economic downturn, but it’s even more disheartening when it is a young Queenslander trying to learn a skill that will set them up for life.
"The Bligh Government is determined to look beyond this current global recession and ensure that our workforce has the skills and experience needed when the economy bounces back.
"The global financial crisis has forced the government to reassess its priorities and in line with our commitment to jobs and infrastructure, we will continue creating positions for apprentices and trainees so that we are ready when better times return."
The Bligh Government's commitment to training also includes the Green Army initiative, a three-year $57 million election commitment to create 3000 jobs including 700 traineeships.
“On top of these initiatives, we will also ensure that the government's new 10 percent training policy on our infrastructure projects maximises the employment of apprentices,” Mr Fraser said.
“This will stimulate demand for an estimated 3500 apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities during the next three years.”
Education and Training Minister Geoff Wilson said the government would engage with industry and the Trade Training Taskforce to ensure the training strategies were directed towards areas and industries where they were needed most.
"Through our Skills Formation Strategies, we are working with industry to find out where vacancies exist and what training is needed to match people with jobs," Mr Wilson said.
"We'll help provide this extra training through our $136.582 million investment in training infrastructure in 2009-10."
Highlights of the capital works program include:
·$22.7 million to further develop SkillsTech Australia's major trade and technician skills campus at Acacia Ridge
·$22.2 million to develop a major trade and technician skills campus at Townsville
·$9.1 million to redevelop the Nambour campus of the Sunshine Coast Institute of TAFE
·$6.2 million on further redevelopment of the Cairns campus of Tropical North Queensland Institute of TAFE.
"Our investment in training is about helping us achieve out Toward Q2 goal of having three out of four Queenslanders holding a trade, training or tertiary qualification by 2020," Mr Wilson said.
"We are investing in the future of Queensland and ensuring that when economic factors improve Queensland has a highly skilled workforce ready to put us on the front foot."
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