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The Bremer Expo offers Ipswich businesses network opportunities
Commonwealth, State and Local Government figures, as well as leading local business and training industry representatives gathered at Business Success in Turbulent Times Expo yesterday to discuss Ipswich's economic future and the support available for businesses.
Among the attendees were representatives from Ipswich City Council, Skills Queensland, Business Enterprise Centre, group training organisations, and the Commonwealth Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations, and the Queensland Government Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.
The Bremer Institute of TAFE Director Michael Thomas said the event helped alert local businesses to the range of organisations and programs available to support the success of their business.
"Attracting and retaining staff during labour shortages, improving productivity, or realigning staff capability to new business objectives - these are all tough situations facing some local businesses," Mr Thomas said.
"The good news is there are many government and non-government organisations that can become strategic partners and assist businesses to respond to these types of challenges. The expo has given many of these support organisations an opportunity to showcase what they do."
"We see it as part of our responsibility to the community to help organisations find the right strategic partners they need to benefit from our region's exciting future," Mr Thomas said.
The expo was the first of a series of general and industry specific networking events to be hosted by The Bremer Institute of TAFE over the next year.
During a keynote speech on current labour market challenges, Skills Queensland CEO Rod Camm called on enterprises to ensure their business plans included a focus on strategies to attract and retain skilled workers.
"With a labour market at close to full employment, together with an ageing population, firms increasingly need to be more competitive in attracting, retaining and retraining workers," Mr Camm said.
"This includes building collaborative partnerships with training providers and government to secure a skills supply chain."
Fellow speaker Ipswich City Council Major, Paul Pisasale reported on Ipswich City Council's plans to accommodate a population growth of 140 percent over the next two decades.
"As one of the three fastest growing regions in Australia, Ipswich's population is anticipated to grow at five percent per annum over the next 20 years, taking it from 175,000 to 461,000," Mayor Pisasale said.
"To accommodate the growth there are two master-planned communities, at Springfield and Ripley Valley, and over 4000 lots in other subdivisions currently under development.
"To create jobs there are 14 industrial estates under various stages of development, while the State Government has committed $21.7 billion to infrastructure in the Western Corri-dor.
"The revitalisation of the CBD is well underway, with recent announcements by Leighton Properties of plans to redevelop Bell Street, and Coles' plans to replace their flood-damaged building in Brisbane Street."
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