8 Dec 2015
Manufacturing Works Program – Review
The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN ( 14:59 :33 ): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation a question regarding the Manufacturing Works program.
Leave granted.
The Hon. A.L. McLACHLAN: The Frost & Sullivan recent review of the Manufacturing Works program found that a frequent problem with the program was that many participant organisations were often lost as to how to proceed with the newly developed product or how to apply the lessons they had learnt during the program. The report recommended that a follow-up with participants should be formalised in order to improve the ability of participants to successfully implement learnings from the programs that they have participated in.
My question to the minister is: will the government commit to implementing the recommendation in order to improve the ability of participants to implement learnings from the programs they participate in?
The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Manufacturing and Innovation, Minister for Automotive Transformation, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Reconciliation) ( 15:00 :35 ): I thank the member for his very, very good question indeed and his continuing interest in manufacturing and all things concerned with manufacturing. As the honourable member pointed out, there was a review of the Manufacturing Works Strategy done by the global consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. There was a range of findings and recommendations that fell out of that review.
I do note that that review found a number of things. It estimated that, out of the Manufacturing Works Strategy, there were something like 290 new jobs created up to April 2015, something like $88 million of additional revenue generated by participants and, perhaps most importantly, the Frost & Sullivan review found the participants in the program performed better than the broader manufacturing industry. For example, the sales income of participants increased by 2.7 per cent compared to a decline of about 6.5 percent in the wider manufacturing industry.
In terms of the specific recommendations that were made, I would expect any recommendation that is able to be easily implemented as part of the program to be implemented. In terms of the specific one the honourable member has referred to, I know that there is formal follow-up with participants. If there is anything more that’s being done as a result of that recommendation, I will bring an answer back and inform him what of what it is.
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