25 March 2013
THE appointment of the Hon. Gary Gray as new Federal Minister for Resources is welcome by the resource industry, says peak national employer group AREEA (Australian Mines and Metals Association).
AREEA Chief Executive Steve Knott today recognises Minister Gray is highly regarded by the resources sector and says employers look forward to working with him to maintain the industry’s high levels of investment and employment growth.
“The resource industry welcomes Gary Gray to the role of Minister for Resources. Minister Gray is well known to AREEA and its mining, oil and gas members as a consultative and knowledgeable person who gets things done,” Mr Knott says.
“Minister Gray was a leading figure in the 2010 National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce in which he genuinely consulted closely with AREEA and other resource industry bodies.
“The NRSET report identified a future skills shortage of at least 36,000 skilled tradespeople by 2015 and, while having since been proven to be an underestimate, this was vital in proposing a range of innovative workforce strategies to help overcome this shortage.
“Today the federal government’s BREE agency predicts a demand of 140,000 construction workers to build new Australian resource projects by 2018, meaning these workforce initiatives are more vital than ever.”
A new study by the highly-respected National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) today reveals that the resource industry employs about 11,000 apprentices and trainees across Australia; and spent $1.147 billion on training in 2011/12, (report available at minerals.org.au).
“Some of Mr Gray’s taskforce recommendations, including increasing the number of women in the resources workforce and transitioning skilled tradespeople into resources-related roles, are initiatives AREEA is actively engaged in,” Mr Knott says.
“In addition to the many training initiatives by industry and government, under Minister Gray’s leadership the NRSET also recognised the role responsible skilled migration programs such as the 457 Visa scheme and Enterprise Migration Agreements (EMAs) play in securing long-term jobs and economic benefits for all Australians.”
“As a Western Australian and a former executive with Woodside Petroleum, Minister Gray should bring a strong understanding of the booming offshore oil and gas industry to the role, including the need for the sector to remain competitive and sustainable in the long-term.
“Over the past five years the national resource industry has created 130,000 new Australian jobs and strong leadership is required to continue this momentum.
“With $650 billion worth of value in Australia’s project pipeline, the industry is confident Gary Gray will do all he can in his new portfolio to create an attractive investment environment where these projects can come to fruition.”
Click here for a PDF of this media release including relevant media contact.
