An innovative partnership between industry, government and community is training skilled workers for the Northern Territory's burgeoning oil and gas industry.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Skills Minister, Senator Chris Evans, today toured the Larrakia Trade Training Centre which is delivering accredited qualifications, traineeships and apprenticeships to Indigenous and non-Indigenous Territorians.
The Centre is a partnership between the Larrakia Development Corporation, Kormilda College and Advanced Training International (ATI).
Inpex and Total, the joint venture partners in the Ichthys LNG Project, contributed $3 million to fund construction of the centre which will help train its future workforce.
This is a great example of how industry can work in partnership with training providers and communities to help build the skilled workforce it needs. As Darwin's oil and gas industry is developed there will be many opportunities for locals to get well paid, high-skilled jobs.
A skills qualification is a passport to a job and the Gillard Government is determined to ensure that Australians has the opportunity to access the training they need. Partnerships like this benefit the whole community.
The trainees at the Centre are getting the skills they need to get great jobs and a secure future. ATI conduct industrial trade apprenticeship training at the Centre in conjunction with Kormilda College, which provides students with basic remedial reading, writing and maths tuition. Apprentices are trained to meet specific jobs needs of the petroleum industry.
Partnerships with industry are a key element of the Government's $3 billion budget commitment to skills and training. The industry-led National Workforce Development Fund will provide $558 million over four years to support training and workforce development in areas of current and future skills need.
The Fund will foster direct partnerships with industry to deliver 130,000 high quality training places. The Australian Government is also increasing its focus on apprentices with an historic investment to lift completion levels and the supply of skilled workers to the economy.
The purpose-built Larrakia Trade Training Centre is the biggest cross training facility under the one roof in the Northern Territory.
It provides skilled workers for industry and remote communities across the Territory and is currently training 700 students each year. The Centre, opened in February this year, also provides specialist support to young people who have struggled at school or been in trouble with the law.
The skills training provided at the Centre is changing lives and helping build the skilled workforce the Northern Territory needs to spread the benefits of the current economic development.