Skills in engineering and advanced manufacturing will receive a major boost in Bendigo and throughout the Loddon Campaspe region, thanks to an initiative led by the Andrews Labor Government.
Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan today met with the Bendigo Manufacturing Group to announce the Regional Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Road Map, which will be rolling out across the Bendigo region with support from the Labor Government’s Regional Partnerships.
The Road Map will help identify ways to support the region’s workforce needs in engineering and advanced manufacturing with both short and long-term initiatives.
The project will engage with key groups and priorities within the workforce: finding pathways for school leavers, looking at strategies to upskill the region’s existing workforce, attracting and retaining new talent – and creating shared goals for both industry and businesses to make sure they can best work together to grow the sector.
Through extensive consultation, including a Bendigo Manufacturing Group business forum for companies employing skilled welders and fabricators, the project identified a strong demand for skilled manufacturing workers – with local employers having difficulty attracting and keeping skilled workers in these areas.
Building industries for the future is one of the emerging priorities of the Loddon Campaspe Regional Economic Statement, with a growing need for the right skills to support business growth, particularly in engineering and the advanced manufacturing sectors.
The Loddon Campaspe region is home to 1,882 international and domestic manufacturing operations, contributing $5.6 billion per year to the local economy and employing 9,451 people in the region.
The project is a collaboration between the Loddon Campaspe Regional Partnership and the Bendigo Manufacturing Group, alongside the City of Greater Bendigo and local industry.
Quotes attributable to Member for Bendigo East Jacinta Allan
“As regional Victoria’s economy continues to grow, we need more skilled workers to come to the regions – and stay here.”
“The Regional Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Skills Road Map will identify the best ways to build industry in the region, close the skills gap and grow the workforce through Bendigo and the Loddon Campaspe region.”