Page 1150 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 4 May 2022
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Finally, we know that the experience industries have been hit hard by the pandemic, and we want to see the return and growth of vibrant and innovative tourism, hospitality and arts businesses. These businesses make Canberra a livelier place for locals while also strengthening our economy through interstate and international tourism. The ACT government has been there for local businesses through the pandemic, providing over $300 million in support payments for local ACT businesses, including hospitality, tourism and arts businesses.
We recognise that COVID has brought about a fundamental shift in many business models, and we want to see local businesses embrace what comes next. Building resilience across the experience industries depends on establishing a strong local skills pipeline to develop and retain workers with a range of flexible and adaptive skills.
We recognise that to meet the needs of these and other growth industries, new and different training offerings will be needed. That is why the ACT government is partnering with CIT on the comprehensive renewal of its programs, offerings and modes of delivery. This renewal program seeks to build on CIT’s strengths and harness emerging opportunities to ensure that its offerings are really relevant and responsive to current and emerging skills needs.
We particularly want to strengthen CIT’s future-focused offerings by engaging with employers and stakeholders in the industries that I have just mentioned to understand what skills needs are coming, and to design offerings to match. To give just one example of this approach in practice, as more private and public vehicles transition to zero emissions technology, there will be a growing need for mechanics who are trained to work with battery and hybrid electric vehicles. So CIT has been collaborating with Tesla and the ACT government to design a dedicated auto qualification for electric vehicles.
The ACT government has undertaken to retrain the entire Transport Canberra mechanic workforce in zero emissions technology so that their skills stay relevant as we transition to a zero emissions bus fleet. Tesla will also be directing apprentices through this program so that there is a skilled workforce ready to go as demand for electric auto trades takes off.
We want to do much more of this kind of forward-thinking training design. CIT’s course renewal work is particularly timely as we move towards the commissioning of the institute’s purpose-built new campus at Woden in a few years time. That campus will accommodate over 6,000 students in a state-of-the-art new training facility. It will revitalise the Woden town centre with a mix of new public, education and community spaces, all closely integrated with the new public transport interchange in Woden and other facilities in the area. It is much more than a building. The move to Woden will mark the start of a new era for CIT. Ahead of that, we will be updating and refreshing the institute’s course offerings to ensure that these are also fit for the future.
Our third priority is partnering with employers to build, attract and retain the right workforce. We know that everyone benefits from a highly skilled workforce. Businesses benefit from access to a diverse pool of quality candidates who can help
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