The Australian Government will establish a National Resource Sector Employment Taskforce to help secure up to 70,000 skilled workers required to build and operate major resource sector projects over the next decade.
A Major Project Employment Coordinator will also be appointed to work with the Gorgon joint venture partners and the Western Australian Government to help match demand for skilled labour with a supply of workers for the Gorgon LNG Project.
The Gorgon Project is the largest resource project ever proposed in Australia and at its peak will create around 6,000 jobs.
Meeting the human capital requirements for this project will require both sourcing available skilled labour and up skilling education leavers and job seekers to ensure that there is a pipeline of workers for the Project.
It will also require training and assistance for the local Indigenous population so they can take full advantage of these opportunities.
National Resource Sector Employment Taskforce
The Federal Government will establish a National Resource Sector Employment Taskforce to undertake the planning required to deliver the large number of skilled workers needed to build and operate these major resource sector projects.
The Taskforce will examine the current pipeline of skilled construction workers such as engineers, boilermakers, welders, concreters, riggers, drillers and divers that will be needed and the areas where additional skills focus will be required.
It will also examine what strategies need to be pursued to create jobs in supporting industries such as logistics, transport maintenance and hospitality.
The Taskforce will include representation from state and territory governments, the resource sector, Skills Australia, and representatives from university, vocational education and the group training sector.
The secretariat for the Taskforce will be provided by the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.
The Gorgon Project is just one of around 80 planned or approved projects nationally that are likely to see demand for skilled resource sector labour increase by 70 per cent over the next decade.
If all these projects proceed there could be an additional 70,000 peak construction jobs and 16,000 ongoing positions generated by 2020.
To maximise participation in these projects and to avoid the skills shortages of the past, the Taskforce will work with the resources industry, state and territory governments and education and training providers to develop a workforce plan that delivers skilled labour to meet project construction and timetables.
A national approach will aim to get training underway as early as possible so that the skills required by the Gorgon Project and other major resource projects are available when and where they are needed.
This approach will also aim to maximise the benefits for regional businesses and jobs, including for Indigenous Australians.
Major Project Employment Coordinator
The Australian Government will appoint a Major Project Employment Coordinator to work with the Western Australian Government and the Gorgon Joint Venture Partners to identify opportunities for targeted training to ensure the labour needs of the project are met.
This will include opportunities for up skilling job seekers, providing support to engage and train Indigenous employees and businesses and supporting regional employment in the Pilbara and surrounding areas.
The Major Project Employment Coordinator will work with the Gorgon Joint Venture Partners to maximise Indigenous participation in the project.
The Federal Government estimates that current training partnerships with the Western Australian Government will deliver 23,470 places for job seekers and 52,009 places for existing workers over the next five years.
However we are determined to ensure these training resources are used flexibly to avoid skills bottlenecks and to provide local people, including Indigenous people with the maximum opportunity to participate.
This model of supporting major projects will be considered for other regions where a number of resource projects are likely to approved.