An employment crisis is looming in the western suburbs with new figures showing almost one in 10 manufacturing jobs disappearing in the past year.
Victoria’s manufacturing industry shed 24,000 jobs in the 12 months to May; that is, 2000 jobs each month.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released last week show full-time manufacturing jobs plummeted 9.7 per cent, severely impacting one of the biggest employers in the western suburbs.
The 2011 Census recorded 31,500 manufacturing jobs in Melbourne’s west.
Shadow manufacturing minister Adem Somyurek said Queensland gained 2900 full-time manufacturing jobs (up 2 per cent) in the same period and South Australia gained 3500 (up 28 per cent). “Manufacturing jobs are increasing in South Australia and Queensland, but in Victoria the industry is in free-fall.”
Mr Somyurek said the problem was compounded by the government cutting $1.2 billion from TAFE, reducing retraining opportunities for the unemployed.
Star Weekly recently reported a University of Adelaide study predicting Hobsons Bay will lose more than 6000 jobs and $840 million from the local economy within three years as a result of Australia’s auto industry closures.
Maribyrnong is also shedding jobs with almost 100 to go as Tottenham power cable manufacturer Nexans Olex ceases production.
State Manufacturing Minister David Hodgett said the Coalition had announced a number of grants across the western suburbs from the Investing in Manufacturing Technology and Manufacturing Productivity Networks programs. “These have helped create jobs and boost investment across manufacturing, including supporting companies such as A&J Australia in Laverton North and Abey Australia in Melton.”
The decline in one of the western suburbs’ key employers comes as new Bureau of Statistics figures show Victoria’s youth unemployment is the worst on Australia’s mainland, sitting at 21.1 per cent for 15-19-year- olds.
LeadWest chief executive Craig Rowley said the best hope for Melbourne’s west was to become home to an advanced manufacturing and engineering sector through initiatives such as Open Innovation West, which brings together a network of local manufacturers.
