Pull Future Made In Australia funding for failures, thinktanks say
Labor’s major plan to reinvigorate Australian manufacturing needs the ability to pull taxpayer funding from underperforming projects, industry think tanks say.
Government appoints new Jobs and Skills Australia Deputy Commissioners
The head of education at The Australian Industry Group and a national leader at the Electrical Trades Union have been appointed as Deputy Commissioners at the federal government’s Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) The Ai Group’s Executive Director – Centre for Education & Training. Megan Lilly (pictured), and the ETU’s National Assistant Secretary Trevor Gauld…
Manufacturing news briefs – stories you might have missed
BHP sets new copper smelting records BHP has set new records for smelted copper production at its South Australian copper mines centred on the Olympic Dam mine, concentrator and smelter. The company achieved record copper mined and concentrate smelted at Olympic Dam in FY24 production was up by 39 per cent to 322kt in the…
Technical and trades skills increasingly hard to source: new report
A new survey of 251 individual businesses by the Ai Group’s Centre for Education and Training (CET) has highlighted the impact of the current skills shortage, with 77 per cent of respondents reporting an increased need for technicians and trades workers, and 79 per cent having trouble finding these. The shortage of technicians and trades…
Women a winner in Vic gov manufacturing grants
Funding has been granted to ten organisations across Victoria to help support more women entering the manufacturing and energy industries.
Free AI training for SME businesses
Australian small to medium sized businesses will have access to expert advice on how to safely adopt artificial intelligence into their operations following the announcement of a new $17 million programme. the Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic today announced four AI Adopt Centres under the AI Adopt Program which will connect business with…
Reactions to the federal budget
A welcome focus on growing Australian capability Industry-research collaboration advocate Cooperative Research Australia (CRA) has praised the focus on growing Australia’s science and technological performance, continued support for Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) funding, and plans to transform Australian R&D. Budget 2024 “has put education, research, manufacturing and industrial transformation at its core” said CRA CEO…
Budget 2024 “the most manufacturing-centric in decades”: Ai Group
It is probably “quite a surprise to Australian manufacturers to find themselves as the centrepiece industry” the Ai Group has commented ahead of next week’s federal budget, though skills shortages continue to hold the industry back. In a research note published by the employer organisation this week, it takes stock of the manufacturing industry’s performance…
Towards 3% R&D – government and business leadership by David Martin
Today our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – turns to the critical importance of leadership from governments and business leaders in reversing the innovation slump. By David Martin of Ai Group. Leaders have the responsibility to shape the future of their firms by identifying opportunities and strategically aligning the…
Ai Group, ACTU and others say “historic step-change” needed on energy transition policy, investment
Australia has strong natural advantages in becoming a renewable superpower, but more than advantage is needed to succeed, according to a joint statement from the Australian Industry Group (Ai Group), Australian Conservation Foundation, Australian Council of Trade Unions, Investor Group on Climate Change, and WWF-Australia. The group said on Monday that – in light of…