The federal government has allocated $5.32 million to train 1000 Queensland surveying and geospatial information workers, as part of the Critical Skills Investment Fund.
The funding will allow around 70 Queensland businesses to train 800 existing and 200 new staff for Certificates III and IV in either surveying or spatial information services.
The funding was won after a collaborative submission by the Construction and Property Services Industry Skills Council, the Surveying and Spatial Sciences Institute (SSSI), and the Spatial Industries Business Association (SIBA).
The funding will allow for a 90 per cent subsidy for specific training for surveying and geospatial information businesses with less than 100 employees, and a 50 per cent subsidy on training costs for those with more than 100.
Speaking to the Courier Mail, Jack de Lange, chief operating officer of SIBA, said that “the spatial industries, particularly surveying, have had a significant skills shortage for some time.”
He added that “it is critical to know not just ‘what’ and ‘how’, but also ‘where’. Specialist skills are needed to collect, manage and analyse this information and the industries using those skills are finding it increasingly difficult to find trained staff.
“This training program will go a long way towards filling that gap, and providing employees with a range of skills at levels not previously available to the industry.”
A large portion of the program is expected to be offered online, so that regional participants will still be able to access the training. The first intake is due next month, with the first candidates to complete their certificates by the end of 2012.
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