Wheely good news
HI-TECH wheel manufacturer Carbon Revolution says it will tap into the federal government’s apprenticeship incentives as it sets about more than doubling its Geelong workforce.
In hosting a post-budget visit from federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Friday, Carbon Revolution doubled down on plans to one day employ 1000 people at its Waurn Ponds advanced manufacturing factory.
CEO Jake Dingle said the company, which currently employs about 400 people, had been a welcome receiver of government support, including JobKeeper, during the pandemic and it planned to grow more jobs to meet rising demand in the electric vehicle market.
Mr Dingle said that as vehicle range capability became a key selling point for manufacturers, Carbon Revolution’s lightweight carbon fibre wheels were a great fit.
“Our technology adds a lot of value from an efficiency point of view,” he said.
“That dynamic is really pushing our technology harder and harder into those customers,”
The company was planning to build the capacity to make 600,000 wheels a year and would be “ramping up as quickly as the demand comes on”, Mr Dingle said.
Mr Frydenberg said the federal government had been there with Carbon Revolution when major car manufacturers around the world were shut down by COVID-19.
“This put real pressure on the workers here and JobKeeper
came to the rescue as it did for 3.8 million workers around the country,” he said.
In the federal budget on Tuesday, Mr Frydenberg announced an extra $2.7bn over four years to expand the government’s Boosting Apprenticeship Commencements wage subsidies, which reimburse employers for the wages of new apprentices and trainees by up to 50 per cent.
Under the expanded program, the number of eligible places will be uncapped and the duration of the 50 per cent wage subsidy will be increased to 12 months.
Businesses of any size will be able to claim the subsidies for new apprentices and trainees who begin their employment between October 5, 2020, and March 31, 2022, with a maximum amount of $7000 per quarter available.