New careers in gas website portal to connect businesses in gas regions with skilled workers
Wednesday, 21 December 2011 14:59
Job seekers looking to join in on the Queensland gas industry boom, and local businesses seeking skilled workers have a new point of entry, following the launch of Energy Skills Queensland’s (ESQ) Careers in Gas website (careersingas.com.au).
The website was launched by Employment, Skills and Mining Minister Stirling Hinchliffe recently at the Queensland International Gas Symposium.
Minister Hinchliffe said the Careers in Gas website will help jobseekers keen to share in the golden age of gas development in Queensland.
“It’s a commendable initiative. It gives small and medium sized businesses in gas communities, including retailers, health providers and hospitality operators the chance to advertise local vacancies for free,” Mr Hinchliffe said.
The Careers in Gas website has been developed by Energy Skills Queensland in partnership with QGC, Santos and Origin, who jointly funded the website’s development as part of their drive to recruit Queenslanders for their large gas infrastructure projects and support local businesses in gas communities.
Energy Skills Queensland CEO Glenn Porter said the website also provides information for job seekers on the skills pathways to follow to secure work in the various in demand occupations and on living in Queensland’s gas regions.
“The three gas companies are developing gas fields in central Queensland, pipelines through to Gladstone and LNG plants on Curtis Island and they need a big workforce for the construction and ongoing operations of these projects,” Mr Porter said.
“The objective of the Careers in Gas website is to help ensure employers get the skilled workers they need and that locals are trained to take up jobs as they come on-line.”
Santos GLNG President Mark Macfarlane said the company was proud to be involved with the Careers in Gas initiative, which would open career pathways and provide additional support to those wanting to be part of the sector.
“We already have more than 1,600 people directly working on our project in Australia and we are still seeking hundreds of exceptional people to become part of a ground-breaking team focused on delivering GLNG,” Mr Macfarlane said.
“The industry will provide enormous economic and job opportunities for individuals and businesses right across Queensland in the years ahead. This new site will help people take advantage of those opportunities.”
Paul Zealand, Origin’s CEO Upstream said he was proud of the work Origin has done with Energy Skills Queensland identifying and developing skills to support the creation of long-terms jobs in the coal seam gas to liquefied natural gas industry.
“Origin already invests considerable effort into ensuring job creation, apprenticeships, graduate positions and traineeships are available to the local communities in which we operate.
This includes both jobs in the CSG to LNG industry as well as those outside of our own. So supporting this website is a perfect fit for us.”
“Continued concerns around the skills shortage and loss of young tradespeople out of rural areas and high-paying industries means we need to act now to secure the future of both local industries and townships, and this website will help achieve those goals.”
QGC Vice President Corporate Brett Smith said QGC has nearly 300 vacancies in professions covering geology, drilling, engineering, construction, project management, and administration.
“More than 4300 people are already working for QGC and its contractors,” he said.
Energy Skills Queensland leads energy industry and government engagement on vocational education and training, skills development and labour market issues.
To find out about the job opportunities in Queensland’s gas regions visit:
www.careersingas.com.au
