The Queensland government has unveiled over $5 million in investments to boost jobs in the state’s cyber security and advanced manufacturing sectors.
The government has allocated $2 million in funding for the Cyber Security Training Operation Centre and $3.6 million for the Advanced Manufacturing Hub at the TAFE Campus in Cairns.
Training and Skills Development Minister Di Farmer, who visited the Cairns site today, said the cyber security training centre would ensure Queensland has the workforce capability to meet the state’s cyber security needs.
“You can’t get more ‘future-focused’ than developing the skills to tackle cyber security issues,’’ Farmer said.
“The fit-out will include attack and defence rooms, monitoring rooms for hacking/triaging web data and data centres to incorporate IT infrastructure, delivering additional training opportunities for future cyber security professionals in the Far North Queensland region.”
The upgrades were part of the Palaszczuk government’s $100 million Equipping TAFE for our Future program, which supports digital skills training facilities to develop more workers for the sector, Farmer added.
“In 2020–2021, the Cyber Security Hotline received on average 60 calls per day –an increase of 310 per cent on the previous year. By investing in training infrastructure and working with industry and educators, we can create the future workforce Queensland needs,” Minister Farmer said.
“These cutting-edge facilities mean students can be prepared for the evolving demands of setting up and monitoring vital systems and information networks and gain experience in defending against different kinds of cyber-attacks.”
Speaker of Parliament and Mulgrave MP Curtis Pitt said the QLD government continues to seek ways to boost the state’s workforce and flexible learning options through the Good people. Good Jobs: Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022- 2032.
“In the first half of next year, work will also commence on an Advanced Manufacturing Skills Lab which will train students in the latest techniques using simulated and mixed reality training to meet industry requirements,” Pitt said.
