The Commonwealth Government is investing in jobs, innovation and growth across the Geelong region to support its transition from traditional manufacturing to a centre of innovation.
Today, the Government announces that it will base its $14 million Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre in Geelong.
The Centre will be integrated with a network of centres across the country.
The Centre will develop a sector competitiveness plan to link local businesses with global companies.
The Plan will identify jobs and skills needs, provide a pipeline of innovations ready to commercialise, and consider areas for reforming regulation, manufacturing transformation and growth.
To support skills for the future in the Geelong region, the Government today announces that Newcomb Secondary College will introduce an industry partnership to better prepare students to enter the workforce.
The Commonwealth has committed $500,000 towards establishing the Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) model at the College in 2016.
The P-TECH school programme will focus on the jobs of the future in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, partnering with local industry, and providing vocational pathways.
To complement these announcements, a further $1.3 million has been allocated to extend the role of the Geelong Employment Facilitator.
The Government will also establish a new Job Connections Office and Geelong Region Future Jobs Taskforce.
The Geelong Employment Facilitator will continue to assist people affected by Geelong’s economic transition and work to identify and deliver new job opportunities across the Geelong region.
A new local Geelong Region Future Jobs Taskforce will be established to identify and promote job creation opportunities. It will be supported by the Employment Facilitator in a new Job Connections Office housed in the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre.
The Employment Facilitator and Geelong Region Future Jobs Taskforce will work closely with the Advanced Manufacturing Growth Centre to identify jobs and the skills needs for the region.
To build on the free trade agreements with China, Korea and Japan, access to Austrade’s export advisory service will be provided through a TradeStart Office in Geelong.
This will give local businesses in the Geelong region access to Austrade’s export advisory services across all sectors, enabling them to access these key export markets for future jobs and growth.
These new measures build on the $15 million investment in the Geelong Region Innovation and Investment Fund.
Geelong is a great city with a great future.
The Commonwealth Government is helping Geelong forge a stronger future.
Our announcements today are all part of our plan to build a strong and prosperous economy for the people of Geelong and Victoria.
6 August 2015