• Media Release

Skilled mining workforce drives post-pandemic recovery

The Australian minerals industry supports further reforms to strengthen economic recovery and drive sustained post-pandemic growth.

A highly skilled, highly paid and secure workforce built on innovation, lifelong learning, more apprenticeships and job readiness will be vital in Australia’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Opposition Leader’s Budget-in-reply speech tonight is strongly aligned with the minerals industry’s reform priorities.

Mining is essential to Australia’s sustainable and enduring recovery given its contribution to job creation, higher wages, taxation revenue and expanding modern manufacturing and exports.

The MCA endorses the Opposition’s proposals to create more jobs for young Australians.

The success of Australian mining depends on a highly skilled, healthy, flexible and resilient workforce. An industry-led education and training system is vital to aligning industry needs with training outcomes.

The industry is accelerating 5,000 new apprenticeships, enhancing digital skills, making qualifications more relevant to industry and positioning the industry as an employer of choice.

Australia’s minerals industry, along with the mining equipment, technology and services sector, is integral to expanding Australia’s manufacturing capabilities and supercharging national productivity.

Australia’s minerals industry provides the materials essential for a decarbonised future. The sector’s development will provide more highly skilled, highly paid jobs in regional areas in the future.

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