Civil construction workers, earthmoving plant operators, concreters and labourers will be in hot local demand over the next few years, with Mount Isa workers urged to take advantage of a $37.6M training package announced on Monday September 23.
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With a 150pc increase in general construction activity forecast for North West Queensland, training and upskilling of the local workforce will be critical to ensure there are enough skilled workers to meet the increased demand.
Construction Skills Queensland (CSQ) today announced the $37.6M training investment package as part of its 2019-2020 Annual Training Plan, with specific training programs to match forecast industry activity and skilling requirements of major projects.
CSQ CEO Brett Schimming said North West Queensland had a growing pipeline of construction activity planned and underway.
"North West Queensland is projected to deliver an estimated $575M in construction activity over the next 12 months - an increase of 151pc on the previous 12 months," Mr Schimming said.
"This activity will be driven by an acceleration in engineering work connected to various large projects - around 24 major construction projects confirmed for delivery over the next 2-3 years, with a further 37 potential projects planned but not yet committed.
"Big civil infrastructure projects like the Black Rock Cave Project and the Rocklands Project are typical of the kinds of works driving up activity.
"The project pipeline is valued at between $285 million (committed) and $2.4 billion (committed + potential) over the coming years."
Mr Schimming said with the majority of these projects being large engineering projects, CSQ predicted an increased demand for civil construction workers, including earthmoving plant operators, concreters and labourers.
"Our priority is making sure that these projects have a skilled and available local workforce to match changing project needs at various stages of their delivery and that is where this CSQ training investment comes in," he said.
"It is also an opportunity for local workers to upskill by doing some training to take advantage of the new opportunities coming up in the North West employment scene."
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Samantha Campbell
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Samantha Campbell (nee Walton) has worked for regional and rural publications across New South Wales, Queensland and the Northern Territory. She is currently writing for the North Queensland Register based in North West Queensland. Email: samantha.campbell@austcommunitymedia.com.au
