2017-05-17
The Australian Greens have called on the Government to implement local employment targets to ensure South Australians are prioritised for the thousands of jobs expected to be created in ship building from 2021.
“We’re being told it’s going to rain jobs in South Australia in 2021, but we’re in a drought at the moment. With a project that’s offering thousands of jobs, in a state where we have almost 60,000 people out of work, it is important that we look to supporting locals winning these jobs first and foremost,” Greens Senator for South Australia Sarah Hanson-Young said.
“Companies should be contractually obliged to ensure locals make up the majority of the workforce. We have the talent here, from decades of a strong manufacturing sector, so let’s use it.
“We can’t expect people to languish on the dole in the off-chance that they’re offered a job in ship-building in four years’ time. What we don’t want to see, is a fly-in, fly-out workforce while talented South Australians are unemployed and the economic benefits go interstate.
“The only positive to the four year wait for this project to bear fruit is we can use that time to upskill South Australians so they are at the front of the pack when the jobs start flowing through. With our established manufacturing work force and the opportunity get people into training now, there is no excuse not to have a strong South Australian employment target under this plan.”
Media contact: Amy Moran 0427 604 706