Training initiative to upskill labour force for the Rockhampton Ring Road project

A Central Queensland business is seeking funding from both levels of government to upskill the local concrete precast labour force to meet the forecast demand of the Rockhampton Ring Road project. Full details.

A Central Queensland business is seeking funding from both levels of government to upskill the local concrete precast labour force to meet the forecast demand of the Rockhampton Ring Road project.

The $1.065 billion road construction project will involve the construction of 17.4km of new road linking the Bruce Highway through Rockhampton extending from the Capricorn Highway to the Rockhampton-Yeppoon Road/Bruce Highway intersection and will include a new crossing of the Fitzroy River at Pink Lily.

Project manager for Apprentices and Trainees Queensland David MacGlashan said the ring road was basically a bridge made up of precast concrete elements.

Mr MacGlashan said Apprentices and Trainees Queensland had done an analysis of the precast concrete suppliers in Rockhampton and found there was a lack of skilled workers.

Apprentices and Trainees Queensland project manager David MacGlashan and Employment and Training Shadow Minister Brent Mickelberg. Picture: Aden Stokes

“We have put together a program to train these particular trainees in a precast employment pathway, which will lead them to be skilled to work in precast and meet the demands of the precast elements of the ring road,” he said.

“We see the opportunity with this ring road to upskill people in town, improve employment and make a lasting legacy for the area in the manufacturing department and keep manufacturing local.”

He said the training initiative would be capable of producing up to 96 graduates each year.

He said the program needed $1.2 million in funding to train the graduates.

“We have applied for some money but there is a shortfall in that,” he said.

CONCEPT MAP: The $1 billion Rockhampton Ring Road will include the construction of a new bridge across the Fitzroy River.

“We would like the government to get behind us and supply some money.”

Employment and Training Shadow Minister Brent Mickelberg said while he was pleased to see the Rockhampton Ring Road project going ahead, there had been “lack of focus on delivering the number of trainees and tradies that are required to build these sorts of projects”.

“Projects like the Ring Road are struggling to get the tradies they need to start critical infrastructure,” Mr Mickelberg said.

“Apprentices and Tradies Queensland have a really great initiative in place which they would love to see funded by the Queensland Government and the Federal Government.

“The idea is to deliver the trainees required so they are able to work on the ring road.

Apprentices and Trainees Queensland project manager David MacGlashan and Employment and Training Shadow Minister Brent Mickelberg. Picture: Aden Stokes

“What we need to see from the Queensland Government is more proactivity with respect to planning when it comes to delivering these projects.

“The reality is if we don’t get this planning right upfront and if we don’t get the availability of staff upfront projects will be delayed.

“We need to see a focus on the delivery of the Ring Road, we need to see a focus on what it is going to mean for community and we need to see a focus on what it is going to mean for local business.

“Many of these projects are given to large contractors who are multinational or national contractors.

“They come into town and they take up a lot of the available staff from local businesses who then find it hard to continue on.

“We would like to see more proactive engagement from the government to ensure the trainees are put in place in advance so local businesses can benefit from the project rather than be disadvantaged.”

Originally published as Training initiative to upskill labour force for the Rockhampton Ring Road project