Linking our manufacturers to resource boom opportunities

The importance of manufacturing

Manufacturing is an important and integral part of the Australian economy. The mining boom creates both opportunities and challenges for all industries, including manufacturing.

The Building Australia's Future Workforce package will assist in meeting skills and training needs across the manufacturing sector.

Supporting our manufacturers

The Government is working to ensure the manufacturing industry benefits from the mining boom with a $34.4 million package to assist Australian manufacturers.

This package responds to the challenges and opportunities emerging from the current patchwork economy and the high Australian dollar by assisting manufacturers to take advantage of new growth prospects.

This package will help manufacturers to build on existing skills and identify new supply opportunities in the resources sector.

Key initiatives include:

• new Supplier Advocates in critical industry sectors who will help manufacturers in these sectors identify opportunities for Australian industry to develop a competitive advantage;

• leveraging off the nationwide Enterprise Connect network to give small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector the skills and knowledge needed to integrate into global supply chains;
• embedding an industry capability specialist within major projects in the resources sector to ensure that Australian manufacturers are being considered in the design and procurement of these projects; and
• establishing a Resources Sector Supplier Advisory Forum and Resources Sector Supplier Envoy to champion Australian industry participation in the resources sector.