Australia: The final report of the Commonwealth Government’s National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce marks a major landmark for Australia according to the peak body representing Australia’s oil and gas industry, the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA).

The report, Resourcing the Future, provides a much needed single comprehensive source of information on the major resource projects planned in Australia over the next five years and the jobs and skills which will be required to build and operate them.

The Australian oil and gas industry alone currently has around a dozen large-scale LNG projects under construction or under active consideration. These projects have the potential to increase Australia’s LNG production capacity four-fold and would roughly double current levels of engineering and construction investment in Australia.

Demonstrating how the resources sector is absolutely vital to Australia’s future growth, Resourcing the Future identifies 75 major resources projects at an advanced stage of development with a value of $109.6 billion at the end of April 2010.

APPEA Deputy Chief Executive, Policy and External Affairs, Mark McCallum said: “While the market will meet many of the skills demands created by the unprecedented growth in major resource projects it will not adequately address all of challenges accompanying the development of these important projects across the Australian economy.

“This is why the Federal Government’s Taskforce has a major role to play and why APPEA and its members have strongly supported the work undertaken by the Taskforce. In coordinating and gathering reliable economic data and in making recommendations to address critical skills needs and plan for growth, the Taskforce has produced a series of practical recommendations based on wide consultation.

“APPEA and its members will be working closely with the Federal Government and other key stakeholders to implement the Taskforce recommendations as appropriate. We all need to work together in ensuring Australia has the skills required within the resources sector and also across other sectors of the economy.”

APPEA particularly welcomes recommendations on how to deliver:

• a national strategy to improve language, literacy and numeracy skills of job seekers;
• regional workforce plans to manage impacts of major resource project on local communities;
• urgent measures to address affordable housing and community infrastructure;
• alternative apprenticeship models;
• a national strategy for attraction and retention of women in the resources and construction sector; and,
• increasing transparency and access to resources industry jobs advice.

Mr McCallum said: “Resourcing the Future and the actions taken to give effect to its recommendations will provide the Australian community with greater confidence and a better understanding of the opportunities offered by growth in the resources sector.”

Source: http://www.appea.com.au/index.php?option= com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id= 183&Itemid=600087