Small and Medium Enterprises will have more opportunity to build their capabilities from resources projects after today’s Third Resources Sector Supplier Advisory Forum according to minister.ret.gov.au
Melbourne Business School has been authorised by the Resources Supplier Advocate Chair, Peter Beattie AC for developing training and education tools to help small and medium enterprises build their capabilities and access major resource project supply chains.
According to Beattie “One of the strong themes coming from the Forum’s working groups is the need to build SME capabilities and the Melbourne Business School work will complement activities already being delivered by Enterprise Connect.
In an agencies and Supplier Advocates meeting yesterday, both agreed on sharing information and coordinating efforts in support of the Buy Australian initiative to better link suppliers to resource projects and global supply chains.
Industry and Innovation Minister Greg Combet said. “The Forum is part of the Government’s Buy Australian at Home and Abroad initiative to maintain a strong and diverse economy, boost our manufacturing sector and share the benefits of the resources boom.”
The Supplier Advocate will work with Government programs and agencies like Enterprise Connect, Austrade, AusIndustry, the Export Finance and Insurance Corporation and the Industry Capability Network (ICN) to share information to help SMEs secure work on major resource projects.
Minister for Resources and Energy, Martin Ferguson AM MP, believes it is important to develop strategies for Australian suppliers to win work.
“This is particularly critical given there is $270 billion in committed investment in the pipeline, which will provide opportunities for Australian suppliers to access work in the ongoing operations and maintenance phases of these projects,” Minister Ferguson said.
“Today was an opportunity to ensure that we remain focussed on competitiveness and innovation, which is what, is required to meet the needs of major resource project owners so that we remain an attractive place to invest, he added.
On board are representatives from manufacturing, resources, mining technology and services, engineering and procurement firms, unions, academia and industry associations.