Manufacturing products and equipment for the renewable energy sector could combat the rising unemployment rate in the Hunter Valley, Greens candidate for Maitland John Brown says.
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He said TAFE could be the place to train employees for work in the new industry.
Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that unemployment reached 11.4 per cent in the Hunter, outside Newcastle, last month – almost double the state average of 6.3 per cent.
This was a rise from 7.1 per cent in January, 2014.
Mr Brown said the Greens’ plan to strengthen TAFE would help to address the rising unemployment rate in the Hunter.
But he said it was equally important to develop an alternative industry to replace jobs in mining, one of the region’s largest employers, so training could be targeted.
Mr Brown said manufacturing for renewable energy projects, such as solar panels, could become a thriving industry in the Hunter.
“There has been a downturn in the coal industry and I think that will be a long-term downturn,” he said.
“We have a good workforce and we need a plan to transition that workforce into industries like renewable energy, which could possibly create thousands of jobs.”
The Greens have pledged to work to end public funding for private vocational education providers so more money would be available to fund TAFE.
As a compromise, the Greens would cap public funding of private institutions at 20 per cent.
Labor candidate for Maitland Jenny Aitchison told the Mercury yesterday that her party’s TAFE rescue package, which would keep fees at the 2014 level, would help address unemployment in the Hunter.
Meanwhile, Liberal candidate Steve Thomson said taxes and red tape should be reduced for small businesses to encourage them to employ more people.
