❓ Mr. Whitby questions the Premier on how the $18 million defence industry funding package will create jobs, training, and a skilled workforce in WA. The Premier outlines initiatives including employer incentives, apprenticeships, veteran scholarships, and a new skills centre.
AnsweredQoN 711Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
DEFENCE INDUSTRY FUNDING
PACKAGE
711. Mr R.R. WHITBY to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to creating local jobs for its unprecedented
investment in supporting WA's defence manufacturing industry.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the $18 million defence industry funding
package that was announced today will create more employment and training
opportunities for Western Australians?
(2) Can the
Premier outline to the house how this investment will ensure that WA has the
skilled workforce required to secure more defence contracts?
PACKAGE
711. Mr R.R. WHITBY to the Premier:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's commitment to creating local jobs for its unprecedented
investment in supporting WA's defence manufacturing industry.
(1) Can the
Premier outline to the house how the $18 million defence industry funding
package that was announced today will create more employment and training
opportunities for Western Australians?
(2) Can the
Premier outline to the house how this investment will ensure that WA has the
skilled workforce required to secure more defence contracts?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the
member for Baldivis for the question.
(1)–(2) We have obviously been very, very committed to
securing defence manufacturing work for Western Australia, especially in the maritime field. Obviously, we
put in place the Defence Advocate, who is based in C anberra, and also
Defence West, a specific component of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science
and Innovation that is designed to work to secure major defence work. As part
of our recovery plan from COVID, we announced $87.6 million for infrastructure
at Henderson—wharf improvements, pathways and the like— particularly for defence-related work, and new
sheds and the like for shipbuilding. It is a massive investment in the
defence industry. But we also need to make sure our workforce is skilled up for
these sorts of jobs, so today we announced over $18 million of additional
investment in defence skills. This will include incentives of $20 000 for employers in defence manufacturing,
particularly in some of the electrical trades , in order to train apprentices. Employers can apply for that and hundreds
of employers will be able to receive $20 000 grants over four years in
order to employ apprentices in defence-related trades. On top of that, we are
funding 335 additional apprenticeship commencements as part of this package, so
in total that is around 800. On top of that, we are creating scholarship
programs to help veterans—those people leaving the Defence Force who want to get trained up for those sorts of
manufacturing roles—get into defence-related jobs. We are also creating new defence jobs and
skills centre at Rockingham TAFE, obviously in p roximity to HMAS Stirling —as
members would understand, Rockingham has the highest proportion of people
working in defence—to attract and get young people connected with
employers through the local TAFE.
This is an $18 million package on top
of our $87 million infrastructure investment, all designed around defence work, clearly with the Collins-class
full-cycle docking decision yet to be made by the commonwealth government. We are pulling out all the stops for the commonwealth to select the
obvious location for that work to be undertaken. Western Australia's
industry and the skills here are clearly above and significantly more robust
and capable than South Australia's, and with the submarines based in
Cockburn Sound, it would make sense to have them repaired in Cockburn Sound. We
are doing everything we can to ensure that that work comes to WA.
member for Baldivis for the question.
(1)–(2) We have obviously been very, very committed to
securing defence manufacturing work for Western Australia, especially in the maritime field. Obviously, we
put in place the Defence Advocate, who is based in C anberra, and also
Defence West, a specific component of the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science
and Innovation that is designed to work to secure major defence work. As part
of our recovery plan from COVID, we announced $87.6 million for infrastructure
at Henderson—wharf improvements, pathways and the like— particularly for defence-related work, and new
sheds and the like for shipbuilding. It is a massive investment in the
defence industry. But we also need to make sure our workforce is skilled up for
these sorts of jobs, so today we announced over $18 million of additional
investment in defence skills. This will include incentives of $20 000 for employers in defence manufacturing,
particularly in some of the electrical trades , in order to train apprentices. Employers can apply for that and hundreds
of employers will be able to receive $20 000 grants over four years in
order to employ apprentices in defence-related trades. On top of that, we are
funding 335 additional apprenticeship commencements as part of this package, so
in total that is around 800. On top of that, we are creating scholarship
programs to help veterans—those people leaving the Defence Force who want to get trained up for those sorts of
manufacturing roles—get into defence-related jobs. We are also creating new defence jobs and
skills centre at Rockingham TAFE, obviously in p roximity to HMAS Stirling —as
members would understand, Rockingham has the highest proportion of people
working in defence—to attract and get young people connected with
employers through the local TAFE.
This is an $18 million package on top
of our $87 million infrastructure investment, all designed around defence work, clearly with the Collins-class
full-cycle docking decision yet to be made by the commonwealth government. We are pulling out all the stops for the commonwealth to select the
obvious location for that work to be undertaken. Western Australia's
industry and the skills here are clearly above and significantly more robust
and capable than South Australia's, and with the submarines based in
Cockburn Sound, it would make sense to have them repaired in Cockburn Sound. We
are doing everything we can to ensure that that work comes to WA.
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