Workers down tools at Shanduka ops in SAfrica

July 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

July 5 (Reuters) – Hundreds of workers at Shanduka’s operations in South Africa on Monday went on a labour-related work stoppage, the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) said.

The NUM said operations at Shanduka’s Springlake, Leeufontein, Graspan Colliery and Townlands had been affected by the work stoppage.

Workers are demanding that Shanduka centralise its bargaining to harmonise conditions of service across its operations.

“We demand that Shanduka should allow its workforce to have similar pay and similar conditions of service since all operations fall within one group,” Paris Mashego, the NUM’s regional secretary for the Highveld region said in a statement. (Reporting by Shapi Shacinda)

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UPDATE 1-Stada to cut 10 pct of staff, double profit by 2014

June 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

FRANKFURT, June 7 (Reuters) – German generic drug maker Stada Arzneimittel (STAGn.DE) plans to cut about one in ten jobs as it aims to double earnings by 2014, continuing a cost cutting drive that has boosted its shares.

Stada expects earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to rise to 430 million euros ($513.4 million) in five year’s time from 280 million last year, the group said on Monday.

During the period, net income should reach 215 million euros from 100 million in 2009, it added.

Stada plans to cut about 800 jobs, equivalent to about 10 percent of its workforce, as it aims to sell production plants abroad and to centralise its administration.

Stada’s shares extended gains and were up 1.9 percent at 29.95 at 1126 GMT while the STOXX Europe 600 Health Care .SXDP was down 0.6 percent. Stada shares have gained more than 20 percent so far this year, mainly helped by cost cuts.

Last month Stada posted quarterly earnings slightly lower than analysts had expected as it continued to scramble for generic-drug bulk contracts in its German home market.

However, it kept its full-year outlook for profit growth this year, helped by cost cuts and a strong Russian rouble. [ID:nLDE64A1PJ]

(Reporting by Ludwig Burger)

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Contract Employment Opportunities Increase by 8% in May

June 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

MENLO PARK, CA, Jun 04 (MARKET WIRE) —
oDesk has released online work figures for May 2010, to coincide with the
Employment Situation Summary for May 2010 published by the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics. Online work on oDesk, a marketplace that connects
590,000 contractors with employers at thousands of companies worldwide,
increased 8 percent over April 2010, marking a fourth straight month of
increasing online employment.

Contract workers make up more than one-third of the U.S. workforce, and
more than 90 percent of U.S. firms now use contract talent on a regular
basis. Online work provides employment for people with a wide range of
technical and non-technical skills, from programming and web development,
to writing, bookkeeping and administrative support; anything that can be
set-up, managed or delivered over the Internet.

Here is an overview of the oDesk Online Employment Situation Summary:

– 47,281 new online jobs were posted to oDesk in May, an increase of
3,670 over April
– 589,718 total workers were registered with oDesk in May, an increase
of 37,153 or 6.7 percent over April
– $8,873,388 was earned by workers on oDesk in May, an increase of
$222,862 or 2 percent over April
– The top remote contractor countries for May were the United States,
India and the Philippines
– The top employer countries for May were the United States, Canada and
Australia

“We have a front row seat for the rise of the remote work economy.
The continued interest in contract work speaks to the new order of the
working world — the jobs are returning, but both businesses and workers
are choosing more flexible relationships,” said oDesk CEO Gary Swart.
“The future of work lies in contract workers building long-term,
successful careers online — and companies and individuals must learn how
to forge productive working relationships within this new dynamic.”

Interested in viewing the complete report on online contract work? Please
visit: www.odesk.com/w/online_employment_may2010

About oDesk
With more than 590,000 contractors in more than 169
countries, oDesk (www.oDesk.com) is the largest and fastest-growing
marketplace for online work.

For employers: Guaranteed work — every hour billed is an hour worked.
Screen captures of each contractor’s desktop taken at random intervals
allow employers to audit the hours and work completed so they have
confidence every hour billed by a remote team member is an hour worked.
This capability also enables the employer to collaborate more closely and
re-direct the contractor if necessary, much like you do when you manage
by walking around your office.

For contractors: Guaranteed payment — every hour worked is an hour paid,
without the hassle of invoicing or slow-paying clients, making oDesk the
preferred marketplace for professional contractors including software
engineers, web developers, graphic designers, writers, researchers,
administrators, and customer service agents.

Find oDesk on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/oDesk
Follow oDesk on
Twitter at: www.twitter.com/oDesk

Contact:
Erica Benton
oDesk Corp.
ericabenton@oDesk.com
650-853-4152

Copyright 2010, Market Wire, All rights reserved.

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Now, chocolate bar that keeps wrinkles at bay

May 21, 2010 By Leave a Comment

London, May 21 (ANI): Good news for chocolate lovers: A new kind of chocolate has been created that apparently slows the ageing process and fights wrinkles.

Made by the world”s largest chocolate manufacturer, Acticoa is packed with natural antioxidants, which can protect the skin from damage by harmful free radicals.

Studies have shown that just 20g a day of the chocolate could help prevent wrinkles by hydrating the skin and improving elasticity.

The time-defying bars, drinks and buttons are the brainchild of chocolatiers at Barry Callebaut, whose 7,500 strong workforce in 26 countries make 3- billion-pound worth of chocolate each year, supplying household names like Cadbury and Thorntons.

“Chocolate and health do not seem to fit together but it is a very interesting proposition: if I can eat something I like and it is good for me, that is great. Chocolate is probably at the bottom of the list when you think about making food healthier,” the Telegraph quoted Harry Vriens, of Barry Callebaut, as saying. (ANI)

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Thailand’s tourism sector loss put at 120 billion baht

May 20, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Bangkok, May 20(ANI): Thailand’s tourism industry experts have claimed that the Red-Shirts’ anti-government rally could cause the sector about 120 billion baht in lost revenue.

“The political turmoil will drive away foreign tourists. The number of foreign arrivals this year is expected to drop by 10 per cent to between 12.7 million and 14.1 million,” The Bangkok Post quoted Kongkrish Hiranyakij, Chairman Federation of Thai Tourism Industries, as saying.

He further said the number of foreign tourists was expected take a 20 percent dip in the second and third quarters of the year, bringing projected revenue down from 600 billion baht to only 480 billion baht this year.

The industry, which supports six percent of Thailand’s economy and employs 15 percent of the country’s workforce, has been hammered by the nine-week political turmoil and rioting.

Nearly 1,800 people have been wounded in the period as the government, backed by Thailand’s royalist establishment, and the protesters with their support from the rural masses and ousted premier Thaksin Shinawatra, failed to find common ground. (ANI)

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The Pill one of the most significant medical advances of last 50 years: US poll

May 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Washington, May 8 (ANI): Over half of Americans think that the birth control pill has been one of the most significant medical advances of the last half century, a new CBS poll found.

Most Americans say “the pill” has had an impact on American society and on women’s lives in particular, and credit it with helping women enter the work force.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the birth control pill in 1960 and today 52 percent of Americans consider it as one of the most significant medical developments of the last 50 years.

According to the poll, conducted on May 4th and 5th, four in five Americans think the birth control pill has had at least some effect on American society overall, including 41 percent who say it’s had a great deal of impact.

Even more, 54 percent, think the birth control pill has had a great deal of impact on women’s lives in particular, reports CBS News.

Most Americans say women’s lives were changed for the better because of the birth control pill.

Only a quarter think it made no difference, and even fewer say the pill made women’s lives worse.

Men (59 percent), women (54 percent), and women who have ever taken the pill (54 percent) say that women’s lives were improved as a result of the birth control pill.

In fact, Americans think the birth control pill helped women enter the work force— 57 percent say the pill made it easier for women to have jobs and careers outside the home.

On the other hand, 53 percent of younger Americans say the birth control pill had no effect on the ability of women to work outside the home.

Among working women, 55 percent say the birth control poll has made it easier for women to enter the workforce.

The poll finds public concerns about the safety of the birth control pill have diminished over time. (ANI)

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Stud farm to halve workforce

May 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The horse breeding operation, Darley, has confirmed it will cut jobs from its Cootamundra farm as part of a restructure.

The Twin Hills stud on Dirnaseer Road at Cootamundra was sold to the ruler of Dubai more than two years ago.

Darley’s general manager, Henry Plumptre, says the Twin Hills stallion operation will close by the end of June but the spelling facility will stay open.

It will mean the loss of 26 jobs including 12 casual positions, leaving 13 staff including managers.

Mr Plumptre says he has spoken to staff about their entitlements and will help them find new jobs.

“We needed to shut that stallion operation and get Cootamundra back to an operational level so that it is sustainable, but without being a complete drain on the resources of the company elsewhere,” he said.

“Everyone would have been aware, not just in Australia but around the world, that Dubai had an issue last year and that necessarily changes the parameters of how we operate.

“If that means that we have to make economies of scale and run our operations more efficiently then unfortunately there are circumstances which arise from that.”

Mr Plumptre says the company will do what it can to assist staff to find other jobs.

“If a staff member finds a job for example in the next few weeks and wants to leave they are still obviously paid their full entitlements, but they can leave anytime they like,” he said

“Those who request help from the company will be given that help.”

Darley’s clients will be asked to remove their mares from the property by June 30.

Mr Plumptre says Darley will continue to have a presence in the region in the short-term.

“We could never say the property will not be sold because if a suitable buyer came along who wanted to operate Twin Hills as a going concern and keep the staff on in a working capacity, we would probably be silly to turn it down,” he said.

“However, to get someone to take over a property like that and run it the way that Darley would run the property is very difficult and it’s not easy to find people who want to do that sort of thing, especially in a world that is coming out of recession.

“At the moment, we’re winding back to a sustainable level. We will keep it going in the short-term future and hopefully something will come up.”

Cootamundra Mayor Paul Braybrooks says it is concerning to see the jobs losses.

“Not only are they obviously very much an important prestigious facility in Cootamundra but they’re also an enormous employer,” he said.

“Also they’ve put a lot of money through the local businesses and the local community.

“Obviously job losses in a community is not something which anybody is happy about but I hope that in time they will return a lot of the tasks to Darley.”

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REG-Hambledon Mining PLC Production Update

April 15, 2010 By Leave a Comment

LONDON–(Business Wire)–

Hambledon Mining plc
(“Hambledon” or “the Company”)

PRODUCTION UPDATE

The Company reports its production for the three months from 1 January 2010 to
31 March 2010.

January February March Total
Milled tonnes (dry) 28,887 37,618 37,228 103,733
Gold grade (g/t) 1.01 0.75 1.14 0.96
Contained gold (gms) 29,147 28,213 42,440 99,800
Contained gold (oz) 937 907 1,364 3,209
Gold recovery % 80.6 % 80.7% 80.1% 80.4%
Recovered gold (oz) 755 732 1,092 2,579
Recovered silver (oz) 2,251 1,967 2,213 6,430

Investors will be aware that this winter period in Kazakhstan has been
particularly severe. Although temperatures below minus 20 are normal for this
time of year, in the first quarter of 2010 there were only 16 days when
temperatures were above minus 30. Even when temperatures did rise, snow storms
and blizzards made mining extremely hazardous. In these extreme conditions,
nothing works very well: mechanical equipment tends to break down and even
winter grade diesel freezes. It was often impossible for the workforce to
operate outdoors. We tried very hard to keep operations going, but there were
occasions when to have continued operating would have been dangerous and
uneconomic. A total of 31 full days mining were lost to weather in the quarter
plus 20 full days of crushing. The consequent stop-start nature of the operation
played havoc with output, and although the process plant worked well, it was
only able to process what was put into it. All in all it has been a very tough
quarter.

Towards the end March, however, weather conditions began to improve and the mine
and process plant have operated well. The many changes made to the plant over
the last 12 months now mean that when conditions are favourable, we are capable
of producing good amounts of gold at low cost. In fact, for the last 14 days, we
have treated 30,500 tonnes of ore, grading 1.2 g/t and with a recovery rate of
84.7%, producing 980 oz gold.

PURCHASE OF ORE

On 29th March Hambledon signed a contract to buy gold ore from the Beskempir
mine belonging to TOO Odak for treatment at the Sekisovskoye plant. The ore has
an average grade of 4.5 g/t and the contract provides for Hambledon to pay some
51% of the gold value (depending on grade) to the vendors, who must pay for
transport to our local railway station at Ust- Kamenogorsk. The first shipment
of 1,000 tonnes is due to be made very soon. The profitability of treating this
ore is expected to be greater than that obtained from treating our own ore. In
addition, it will help the Sekisovskoye mine to keep pace with the treatment
plant at this point in the pit where the stripping ratio is at its maximum. The
contract is for an initial quantity of 10,000 tonnes which should be made over a
period of two months but it is expected to continue with additional tonnages.
This in turn will further extend the life of the open pit mine.

UNDERGROUND

On the 9th of February, the contractors Kazinterethnos started the refurbishment
of an existing 150 m deep shaft. This shaft will serve as a ventilation shaft
and emergency egress during underground mining. It is being lined with steel
plates on a fixed metal frame, and will include a travel way. This work should
be completed by August 2010. As already mentioned, we have completed the
construction of the 4 KV power line from the sub-station, the road to the
decline portal, and the dewatering ponds. Once the shaft is re-established, we
intend to drill 12,000 metres of exploration holes between the 320 and 180
levels to obtain more information about the resource in this area of the mine,
to assist in mine planning and to further delineate the mining reserve.

ENQUIRIES:

HAMBLEDON MINING:

Telephone +44 (0)207 233 1462

Charles Zorab

FAIRFAX I.S. PLC:

(Nominated Adviser and Broker)

Telephone +44 (0)207 598 5368

Ewan Leggat

Hambledon Mining PLC

Copyright Business Wire 2010

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Aged care nurses feeling the pressure

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The aged care sector is grappling with a crisis and those on the front line are speaking out.

Nurses say mistakes are being made and it is only a matter of time before there is a major incident.

The Nursing Federation has highlighted the pressure on the system with a case in which a graduate was left in charge of a nursing home in her first week on the job.

There is now a vicious circle in the industry. Nursing homes are being forced to cut costs. In turn, that is forcing an exodus of staff who have reached breaking point, unable to cope with the increasing pressure.

The ANF says nursing home residents are not getting optimum care and carers are taking on roles they’re not properly trained in because there aren’t enough nurses.

Some homes have had only one registered nurse in charge of up to 120 residents on a night shift.

In others, enrolled nurses and carers on night shifts can only access a registered nurse over the telephone.

The Federation’s Tasmanian secretary Neroli Ellis says nurses are despairing.

“Nurses who are passionate about aged care are leaving because they can’t bear the stress any more,” she said.

“They worry there’ll be a major trauma because of under-resourcing.

“They don’t even see all of their residents during the shift they’re on because they’re so busy.”

Tasmania has the nation’s oldest population. A third of the state’s residents will be over 65 by the year 2046.

Ageing workforce

There is further concern as the nurses themselves get older. Their average age is 55.

Ms Ellis says once they retire, there are limited replacements in an industry not equipped to take on nursing graduates.

“It’s the worst place possible for them…aged care facilities are really down to bare bones so there isn’t the clinical support for graduates.”

“Those who do go into it rarely stay.”

Management is also feeling the strain.

About 70 per cent of nursing homes are operating at a loss, with most run by not-for-profit groups who cannot keep up with rising health care costs.

Four of the state’s aged care facilities have closed in the past three years and a proposal for a secure dementia unit in the state’s north-west was withdrawn.

Aged care provider Eliza Purton recently shed 20 jobs because of a $1.5 million loss.

Tasmanian care providers have held a crisis meeting to consider mergers, creating regional management systems and sharing staff.

Cliff Partridge runs two nursing homes at Deloraine in the state’s north.

He has had to increase bed numbers and the bonds paid by residents to curb a $700,000 loss over the past three years.

“Our costs are rising faster than inflation and standards of care are increasing all the time because of public demand and standards applied by the Federal Government,” he said.

“There’s a limited number of nurses and we struggle to have nurses on call so what happens is we tend to put a lot of pressure on the nurses working longer hours.”

“The real issue in aged care is a shortage of nurses and that’s very difficult to get around.”

Darren Matthewson from Aged and Community Services says its crunch time.

The sector can’t wait any longer for more Federal Government funding and without it more nursing homes will close.

“If it continues what it will mean is that facilities won’t be able to operate, they will close, services will be diminished,” he said.

“People certainly in outlying areas will not have access to those services where they live and they will have to move out which means that families and communities will not have their elderly close to them.”

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Jobless youth ‘need more help’ finding work

April 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

One of Australia’s leading providers of employment programs, Mission Australia, says more needs to be done to tackle youth unemployment.

Bureau of Statistics figures for March show that while overall employment levels are improving, youth unemployment remains high. In some areas of Australia it is as high as 41 per cent.

Chief executive Toby Hall says that is because there are not enough programs to prepare young people for the workforce.

Mr Hall says employers are far from reluctant to take on young people.

“What employers are saying to us is that they want to employ young people,” he said.

“But the clear message that we’re getting from them is that young people are not job ready.

“We’re certainly asking the Federal Government to put more funding, more effort and more time into programs which will help young people be job ready.”

Mission Australia is recommending the Federal Government invest $5 million to create specific job opportunities and increase incentives for employers to offer traineeships.

Mr Hall says young jobseekers are becoming frustrated.

“It’s really sad that there’s a huge number of young people who want to get the right start in life and want to get employed [but] they’re frustrated, employers are frustrated,” he said.

“We just need to tidy the system up a bit and we can make it work better for everyone.”

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Sharp jump in SA jobless rate

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

South Australia’s unemployment rate has jumped from 4.8 per cent to 5.4 per cent in the latest month, seasonally-adjusted.

The number of people looking for work in SA remained steady during March.

SA’s rate is just above the national jobless figure of 5.3 per cent.

SA Employment Minister Jack Snelling is unsure what has caused the jump.

“Could be any number factors, it being March, it could be a bit of a monthly aberration but really what we need to look at is the underlying trend figures and the underlying trend figures show that the economy under the stewardship of the Rann Government is ticking along very well,” he said.

Opposition employment spokesman David Pisoni says the SA job figures make a mockery of the Premier’s promise to create jobs.

“Mike Rann promised 100,000 jobs over six years. This is a bad start,” he said.

“We’ve seen 5,000 fewer people in the workforce since the last figures came out.

“We’re going backward, not forwards.”

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Older workers to be fully covered

April 8, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The State Government has announced a raft of changes to workers compensation to end discrimination against older employees.

The Commerce Minister Troy Buswell says full workers compensation will be extended to cover people of all ages.

The proposal is among 66 recommendations made after a review of the Workers’ Compensation and Injury Management Act.

Mr Buswell says older workers are disadvantaged under the current system.

“At the moment, once you get past 64, your workers compensation rights are significantly curtailed.

“We need older, more mature people in the workforce and this is a step in the right direction.”

Mr Buswell says it is a win for older workers.

“What we now know is that people are staying in the workforce longer and working at older ages and it’s time for us to modernise the workers compensation system in this state to acknowledge that fact.

“And, to provide adequate protection for older workers in the same way that we do for younger workers in Western Australia.”

Simone McGurk from Unions WA has welcomed the move but says it could take some time to come into effect.

“There will now still be a gap until the legislation is passed but we will be hoping that all parties will support this initiative, and we could have a speedy passage through parliament and make sure that those benefits are available for workers as soon as possible.”

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Meatworks sale promises more certainty

March 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Workers and suppliers of Rockdale Beef are being assured of more security when the abattoir and feedlot near Yanco is sold.

The world’s biggest beef processor, JBS of Brazil, is looking to buy Rockdale from its Japanese owners.

The company’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Swift Australia, already owns a 25,000-head feedlot near Griffith.

Rockdale’s general manager, Paul Troja, says the feedlot is operating at only about a quarter of its 50,000-head capacity.

He says things have picked up at the meatworks since cutting 150 jobs last year.

“We came back to a single shift in July of last year but we’ve been able to build it back up to a second shift, [which] is only working at half capacity,” Mr Troja said.

“So a lot of those people that we did let go last year are now back and they are working.

“I’m sure the new owners, once they take hold of the business, will drive the business further, and jobs in the area and the goods and services that the business buys in the area will all be maintained.

“Naturally people are uncomfortable in a changing world and with mortgages and car payments and children at school.

“I can’t speak for the new owners of the business but the indications that we’re getting is that they will certainly look for and support the workforce that creates the products that they make and sell.”

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Tanami Gold ‘on track’ for 2012

March 30, 2010 By Leave a Comment

A Western Australian gold miner is hopeful of starting mining operations at its Tanami Desert project by the middle of next year.

Tanami Gold is in the final stages of determining whether the Newmont Mining acquisition west of Alice Springs will be open pit or underground, or both.

Tanami Gold’s managing director, Graeme Sloan, says the project is on track to produce more than 200,000 ounces of gold by 2012.

“By two years from here on in, we will be producing at an annualised rate of around the 200,000 ounces which should put the company up there … well and truly in the top end of the mid-tier gold producers in Australia,” Mr Sloan said.

He says the company will be looking to draw employees from the central Australian region.

“We will need to nearly double the workforce and that is taking it from somewhere around 150 to probably 300 odd over a period of time,” he said.

“So if you look at it, that is direct employment.”

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Council considers beef processor’s funds bid

March 27, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Inverell Shire Council is investigating its ability to fund a $30 million expansion of Bindaree Beef.

The export meat processor says it needs 10 per cent of the council’s annual income for the next decade, to double its workforce to 1,200.

The company is also requesting a $750,000 grant for electricity upgrades and wants its water supplied free of charge.

Council general manager Paul Henry is currently preparing a report into the legal and financial implications of the request.

“Included in that report, the proposals have very specific legal requirements that need to be satisfied, also a history of council’s engagement with the company,” he said.

The report will be presented at a joint meeting of council committees in two weeks and it is expected to form the basis of council’s decision on the proposal.

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Bonds ladies sign off

March 26, 2010 By Leave a Comment

It was the end of an era in Wollongong this week, with the last of a series of clothing factories owned by Pacific Brands closing down. Nick McLaren spoke to some of the women who are now coming to terms with the loss of their jobs.

When the closure of Bonds’ Unanderra factory was announced nearly a year ago it came as a shock to many workers.

Forty-three-year-old Liz De Vulder says the news was devastating.

“It was like a death in the family for a lot of them. There’s ladies that have been here forty years,” Mrs De Vulder said.

“When they were told it was like someone passed away. Then [it was like we had] the funeral because it all sunk in and the last year has been the grieving.”

The mother of three has worked at the factory since the age of 14 and had planned to stay on another 25 years till her retirement.

She laments the end of an era, especially for those from a migrant background with poor English skills who traditionally find work in manufacturing.

“I feel for the generation that can’t read or speak English very well because they’re always going to be behind,” she said.

“They’ve got to learn to read and write before they can go out to the workforce, so it’s going to be harder for them.”

The closure of the Unanderra plant has led to retrenchments for all 207 employees.

The parent company Pacific Brands is also closing or has closed factories in Bellambi in northern Wollongong, Wentworthville and Cessnock also in New South Wales, West End in Queensland, and in Victoria Nunawading and Coolaroo.

By September this year the company will no longer manufacture clothing in Australia with the jobs moved offshore to China.

Pacific Brands Group General Manager Kate Hahn says the company has worked extensively with the Unanderra staff, fully funding training courses in areas such as computer and IT, aged care, hospitality and retail.

“This has been an extremely difficult period for all of our people and we will continue to work with them to ensure they are provided with the best possible support,” Ms Hahn said

Another retrenched worker, 61-year-old Mercedes Soldi, was first employed at a Bonds factory at Port Kembla in Wollongong in 1966.

Mrs Soldi says initially the staff were angry with the company for the closure, then their anger turned to the Federal Government for not doing more to save at least some of the jobs.

A year later and Mrs Soldi is now looking forward to what lies around the corner.

“They gave me the choice so I’m going back to TAFE to learn English and then I might be able to go into childcare or aged care. I love children,” she said.

Ana De Jesus, 30, is one of the lucky ones.

“I’ve got another job to go to. I’ll be doing cafe work,” she said.

For the moment Ms De Jesus says she experiencing conflicting feelings over the loss of the shared work experiences and friendships, tempered by new opportunities.

“I’ve got friends which are pretty distressed, which is normal for them because they’ve been here for many years. And others are excited because they are starting a new journey, so its mixed emotions.”

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Geraldton Yr 12s keen on science: survey

March 23, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Geraldton Universities Centre says more science-based courses will be offered in the region as interest in the area grows.

A survey of Year 12 students in Geraldton has found nearly a third of those wanting to pursue higher education are interested in a science course.

The survey found nearly half the students wanting to go to university or TAFE would prefer to study in Geraldton.

The centre’s director, Meredith Wills, says the region’s tertiary education providers are keen to meet the growing demand for science-based courses.

“We’ve been very encouraged by the strong interest in science and that was really brought about by the WA chief scientist, Lyn Beazley, working in our region with school students and with the Durack Institute and the Geraldton Universities Centre over the past two years,” she said.

“We’re now working closely with Curtin and Durack to offer new science options in Geraldton next year.”

Ms Wills says Australia’s bid to host the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) – the world’s most powerful telescope – in the Murchison region has attracted a lot of local attention.

“There’s a fair general interest in astronomy and an understanding within that that there’s opportunities in the mining industry as well with engineering and science,” she said.

“I think our region is seeing that we should be really looking to train up for these areas and of course the kids who are in school now are the ideal workforce.”

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Union lobbies to keep jobs local

March 19, 2010 By Leave a Comment

The Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (AMWU) says thousands of north Queensland jobs could move offshore if the State Government does not create stronger policies for major infrastructure projects.

The AMWU met in Townsville last night to gain community support for its campaign to keep manufacturing jobs local.

State secretary Andrew Dettmer says the union plans to lobby the Queensland and federal governments to make changes to the industry.

He says it is not just cheaper prices sending manufacturing jobs offshore.

“We think it’s sort of management group thinking … ‘oh, we get this stuff from China, well let’s get our stuff from China then’,” he said.

“We know that that’s unfortunately what’s been happening in a number of cases.

“What we want there to be is the capacity for the State Government and the Federal Government to turn around to these major projects proponents and say, ‘have you consulted with local manufacturers?’”

Mr Dettmer says Queensland has the potential to double its manufacturing workforce if the Government strengthens local content.

“The State Government is the regulator of major developments in this state,” he said.

“They need to be on the front foot and making sure that local manufacturing actually gets a guernsey in terms of those major infrastructure and resources projects to ensure that local manufacturing jobs are created and maintained.”

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Local workforce planned for Ord expansion

March 17, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Leighton Construction says it will be relying largely on the local workforce rather than importing workers from Perth after securing the first major contract of the Ord Irrigation expansion.

The State Government yesterday awarded the contract for a 20 kilometre irrigation channel and road works to Leighton and joint venture partner Indigenous Business Australia.

Indigenous employment and community development were among the criteria used to select the companies.

Leighton Construction’s Project Director Stewart Dyson says they have been working with the Kununurra community for more than a year to ensure local Aboriginal people are job-ready.

“They were looking for the big players from the private industry to come in and give it all a bit of a shake-up to be honest, and deliver something different.”

“Previous projects undertaken have not delivered the high level of local content that’s been committed on this, or sustainable Indigenous outcomes.”

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