MEDIA RELEASE
Abigroup applauds Victorian Government’s skills investment
27 August 2008
An emphasis on greater choice announced as part of the Victorian
Government’s new training reforms was welcomed today by construction
company, Abigroup Contractors.
“Abigroup is regarded as an industry leader and invests heavily in staff
learning and development. The reforms announced today by the Victorian
Government are an important step in addressing the skill shortages in
Victoria,” said Abigroup Managing Director Peter Brecht.
“We are pleased the Victorian Government has recognised that a skilled
workforce can only be built through the increased investment and
leadership of government, working closely with businesses and
individuals. This is a major step forward,” said Peter Brecht.
The Victorian Training Guarantee will provide extra training places and will
broaden the choice of providers that can access Government funded
training.
In October, Abigroup will open a state of the art employee training and
development facility in Truganina in Western Victoria. As Abigroup is a
Registered Training Organisation in Victoria, quality training will be offered
to attract, retain and reskill its employees.
Abigroup takes its responsibility to train its staff seriously and already
collaborates with a range of TAFE’s and private providers to deliver
training across Australia. In fact, an Abigroup employee recently won the
Regional Award for the South-West Queensland Trainee of the Year, while
other employees have secured accolades from TAFE and from the Civil
Contractors Federation (CCF).
Abigroup also sponsors civil, survey and environmental engineering
courses at the University of Newcastle in NSW and works with CivSkills in
Queensland to help disadvantaged job seekers secure employment in the
civil engineering construction industry by getting participants ‘job-ready’
through training and hands-on experience.
Internally, Abigroup provides a Young Professionals program to the
company’s graduates, undergraduates and cadets. In 2008, over 60
employees are participating in the Australia-wide programs which provide
a structured learning and development environment. The program aims to
increase both individual and organisational capability and to proactively
address the skills shortage in Australia.
“Abigroup’s success has been built on the back of a highly skilled and
experienced workforce so it is rewarding to see the Victorian Government
support training in key areas and offer partnerships to address current
skill shortages, said the managing director.
“Industry needs are constantly changing, so workforce skills need to be
renewed on a frequent basis. The measures announced by the
Government yesterday will make it easier for contractors such as Abigroup
to build a well trained workforce which is needed to compete in today’s
marketplace,” said Peter Brecht.
Abigroup Contractors is one of Australia’s leading engineering and
building companies. As a Registered Training Organisation,
Abigroup delivers nationally-recognised assessment, training and
qualifications in civil construction and mining in Victoria. Works
are undertaken in areas including roads, bridges, dams, rail,
water, telecommunications and mining infrastructure. Abigroup is
a wholly owned subsidiary of Bilfinger Berger Australia, part of the
global Bilfinger Berger group of companies and one of the world’s
top ten construction companies.
[Ends – 409 words]
Further information:
Corporate Communications
Abigroup Limited
Ph (02) 9499 0999
Fax (02) 9499 3822
Email: abimail@abigroup.com.au
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