Marine Training Centre a step closer for Cairns
Published Thursday, 04 October, 2007 at 10:28 AM
JOINT STATEMENT
Minister for Education and Training and Minister for the Arts
The Honourable Rod Welford
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
The establishment of a world-class international marine skills centre for Cairns is a step closer thanks to support from the Queensland Government.
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle and Education and Training Minister Rod Welford today announced that funding of $55,000 will be provided for a comprehensive study into the benefits of such a centre.
“The contract for the study, which is expected to take about two months, has been awarded to Cairns-based consultancy the 20/20 Group," Ms Boyle said.
“The Cairns Aviation Skills Centre has been a huge success … we think we can repeat that success with a marine skills centre.
“Cairns is already home to a large and diversified marine industry. The industry, civic and community leaders all support the idea of an international marine training centre.
“This centre would not only address current skills shortages in the industry and promote growth. The ambition is that it would also offer training at the highest level to attract students from across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Now we have to do the detailed work to make sure it will stack up.
“In the Cairns and Douglas Shires, thousands of people are employed in marine tourism, manufacturing, commercial fishing and coastal shipping. This centre would help retain valuable marine industry staff who would otherwise be lost from the region.
“The centre, which would be run by industry, would build upon marine training currently being run through the TNQ Institute of TAFE.
“It would also provide a one-stop-shop for marine industry training from entry level to the highest levels of training available in a custom-built facility offering new and improved resources,” she said.
Ms Boyle said the Australian Marine Training Network – Cairns (AMTN-C), is a strong advocate of the centre. The AMTN-C’s role is to expand marine training opportunities and coordinate collaboration between training providers, industry and schools.
“The marine industry is extremely important to the region’s economy and a training centre would further boost employment and career opportunities here.
“A recent Griffith University study, done on behalf of the QLD Tourism Industry Council, found the Great Barrier Reef marine tourism industry contributes an estimated $1.36 billion per annum to the Australian economy,” Ms Boyle said.
The Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is providing $20,000 towards the study, while the Department of Education, Training and the Arts will provide $35,000.
Mr Welford said: “Our Government is committed to working with industry to develop strategies to help meet skills shortages in key areas.
“A marine training centre for the region could help to identify skills needs and the issues for attracting, developing, making the best use of, and retaining skilled workers in the industry.”
Ms Boyle said the support for the centre backs up the Queensland Government’s promise to ensure $250,000 annual funding previously provided to the Cairns Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) will remain in the region.
The funding for the study shows the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is committed to individual industry clusters here.
Ends
Media contact: Minister Boyle: 3225 1005, Minister Welford: 3237 1000
Australian Marine Training Network, Cairns – deputy chairperson, Bobby May 0418 791 222
4 October 2007
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Desley Boyle and Education and Training Minister Rod Welford today announced that funding of $55,000 will be provided for a comprehensive study into the benefits of such a centre.
“The contract for the study, which is expected to take about two months, has been awarded to Cairns-based consultancy the 20/20 Group," Ms Boyle said.
“The Cairns Aviation Skills Centre has been a huge success … we think we can repeat that success with a marine skills centre.
“Cairns is already home to a large and diversified marine industry. The industry, civic and community leaders all support the idea of an international marine training centre.
“This centre would not only address current skills shortages in the industry and promote growth. The ambition is that it would also offer training at the highest level to attract students from across Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Now we have to do the detailed work to make sure it will stack up.
“In the Cairns and Douglas Shires, thousands of people are employed in marine tourism, manufacturing, commercial fishing and coastal shipping. This centre would help retain valuable marine industry staff who would otherwise be lost from the region.
“The centre, which would be run by industry, would build upon marine training currently being run through the TNQ Institute of TAFE.
“It would also provide a one-stop-shop for marine industry training from entry level to the highest levels of training available in a custom-built facility offering new and improved resources,” she said.
Ms Boyle said the Australian Marine Training Network – Cairns (AMTN-C), is a strong advocate of the centre. The AMTN-C’s role is to expand marine training opportunities and coordinate collaboration between training providers, industry and schools.
“The marine industry is extremely important to the region’s economy and a training centre would further boost employment and career opportunities here.
“A recent Griffith University study, done on behalf of the QLD Tourism Industry Council, found the Great Barrier Reef marine tourism industry contributes an estimated $1.36 billion per annum to the Australian economy,” Ms Boyle said.
The Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is providing $20,000 towards the study, while the Department of Education, Training and the Arts will provide $35,000.
Mr Welford said: “Our Government is committed to working with industry to develop strategies to help meet skills shortages in key areas.
“A marine training centre for the region could help to identify skills needs and the issues for attracting, developing, making the best use of, and retaining skilled workers in the industry.”
Ms Boyle said the support for the centre backs up the Queensland Government’s promise to ensure $250,000 annual funding previously provided to the Cairns Region Economic Development Corporation (CREDC) will remain in the region.
The funding for the study shows the Department of Tourism, Regional Development and Industry is committed to individual industry clusters here.
Ends
Media contact: Minister Boyle: 3225 1005, Minister Welford: 3237 1000
Australian Marine Training Network, Cairns – deputy chairperson, Bobby May 0418 791 222
4 October 2007