A strength of the Gladstone Industry Leadership Group (GILG) is that it enables GILG members to talk with the Gladstone community using a united voice.

This unity is critical to our members’ response to community concern about the health impacts of industry air emissions. GILG’s members have worked together to build a collective response to these concerns which we think will be far more effective than had each of these members acted individually.

This common industry focus has also proven valuable in other areas. Recently GILG was able to help restart the previously stalled accreditation process for the dual trade Electrical / Instrument Fitter apprenticeship course.

Uncertainty about the status of the dual electrical / instrumentation trade qualification meant that in 2009 only 49 apprentices enrolled in the electrical course and no-one enrolled in the dual electrical/instrumentation course.

These numbers were down from historical norms of around 150 and 15 respectively, about three quarters of whom GILG members trained and employed.

Increased use of process automation in Central Queensland resource based industries has led to major increases in demand for the electronic control systems which these trades install and maintain. Various industry sources have estimated that over the next ten years several hundred more of these tradespeople will be required by existing and new industries in our region alone.

Had last year’s dramatic reduction in training for these trades continued, this would have presented a major constraint on the development of Gladstone industry and a missed opportunity for Gladstone’s youth.

Using the team approach that I have found to be typical of Gladstone, GILG combined with training, union and industry organisations to raise our mutual concerns to the Queensland Government. This joint group agreed on the best outcome for our region and then pushed for Queensland Government accreditation of the dual trade apprenticeship course.

As a result, this course has been accredited and 2010 enrolments are being taken for these apprenticeships. This joint group of organisations is now looking at how to increase training numbers in preparation for future increased demand in these trades.

If you have any suggestions about where else Gladstone industry’s combined voice may assist the Gladstone community, please go to our forum topic at www.gilg.com.au.

If you would like to have your say on how GILG is going and don't know how, please click on this link which shows you how to register and make a comment, anonymously if you wish.

I look forward to hearing from you soon, cheers, Kurt.

read more