On June 30, Acting Premier and Education Minister, Sue Ellery endorsed the State Government’s Driller Offsider Employability Program at the Welldrill Head Office and Workshop in Cockburn. Developed in collaboration with the Resources Industry Training Council (RITC), The Chamber of Minerals and Energy (CME), The Australian Drilling Industry Association (ADIA) and the Department of Training and Workforce Development (DTWD), the program is a part of a suite of new skill sets developed to deliver short, sharp training for job seekers and young people enabling them to upskill or reskill in industries where there is a need for skilled workers.
Minister Ellery said, “There is a strong demand for driller’s offsiders and the McGowan Government is continuing to deliver new training programs to meet workforce needs across the resources sector.”
The program (which is in its second round of participants) is currently being facilitated by the crew at the Australian Training Management (ATM). The participants complete an eight-day training program which includes certification in First Aid, Working at Heights and 4WD training. The training is free for all job seekers, young people and concession-eligible students and low fee for non-concession students.
At the completion of the program, all participants were offered interviews by Luke Pember and Tim Wescott (General Manager) at Welldrill.
For further information or for those interested in participating in the next round, you can register your interest here: https://www.jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/pathways#drillers-offsider-job-ready-program
Contact: Karleigh Barras, Resources Industry Training Council – Workforce Development and Training Adviser
Email: k.barras@cmewa.com
Jobs and Skills Summit announced
Earlier this month, the new Federal Government announced a Jobs and Skills Summit will be held at Parliament House in Canberra on September 1 and 2. The summit is an opportunity for employers, unions, civil society and government to discuss key workforce challenges and economic concerns. Key topics expected to be discussed include productivity and skill shortages, migration, employment security, gender equality in the workplace, and employment opportunities in renewable energy. The discussion at the skill summit will inform a subsequent employment white paper.
In anticipation of the summit, CME is currently preparing a paper which details a West Australian resources sector perspective on the above matters, including identifying solutions which can be actioned by the Commonwealth Government. If members would like to contribute to this paper, contact Liz Crompton, Policy Adviser – Industry Competitiveness on l.crompton@cmewa.com
