Media Release by Volvo Group Australia
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick MP, along with Queensland Labor’s Jess Pugh MP attended a site tour of Volvo Group Australia’s Wacol operations, located close to their communities of Oxley and Mount Ommaney.
The company is celebrating 50 years of operations in 2022, and Mr Dick was impressed with Volvo’s production facility, which he visited four years ago, especially the company’s progress in job creation at the plant.
“It’s a great Australian story in Wacol, within my electorate of Oxley. 850 jobs, a great company making impressive Australian vehicles.”
“During the tour, it was especially heartening to see so many women in a male-dominated industry undertaking the many different jobs at Volvo. It was great to hear about Volvo’s commitment in this space, which will help to take Australia forward to create jobs and deal with the skills shortage which is currently being felt around the world,” Mr Dick said.
Volvo Group Australia has set an ambitious target of attracting 50 female apprentices by 2025; and will be part of a global Volvo Group target which will see 35% female employees and leaders by 2030.
Ms Pugh MP was impressed by Volvo’s commitment to reduce emissions.
“Volvo is really committed to our local area, to providing high-quality jobs to our local community, future focussed and future-proofed jobs in the zero emissions space, and that is absolutely fantastic that our local community gets to be a part of a zero-emissions future working with Volvo in Wacol,” Ms Pugh said.
Former apprentice Renee joined the company in 2017, and has not only completed her apprenticeship program but finished with a dual qualification, becoming both a diesel mechanic and an auto electrician to better support the industry, given the arrival of electric trucks.
“Volvo’s culture is one of growth, helping employees to seek out opportunities. Since my apprenticeship, I have gone on to study a Diploma of Mechanical Engineering which I will complete in four weeks’ time, and Volvo recently promoted me to supervisor of the electrical team, so I am now overseeing apprentices who are starting out just like I did,” Renee said.
When asked about the stereotypes around women working in manufacturing, Renee said if you have passion for it, nothing else should stop you.
“Brush any comments off, at the end of the day, you are there to do the job, and after a while; most people learn you are not going anywhere,” Renee said.
Volvo is also playing a part in helping Australian mothers back into the workforce through jobs within their workshops and offices. The company has recently introduced 26 weeks paid parental leave as an expansion on the government’s offering; among other family-friendly policies, such as the creation of a parent’s room at their Brisbane head office, and flexible shift patterns in their workshops to allow for school drop-offs and pick-ups.
For more information, visit Volvo Group Australia.
