GoRV - Digital Magazine Issue #57 | Page 87

THE FRONT BOOT

JOBS BOOST FOR VIC MANUFACTURING

Caravan Industry Victoria ( CIV ) is leading a partnership with its members aimed at creating 150 new jobs in the Victorian caravan industry .
As part of the plan , CIV manufacturing members will employ 150 new workers to help meet booming national demand for locally built caravans , which is expected to assist in improving delivery times of new RVs .
“ This is a significant project that will go a long way in supporting our members with new people working in our industry ,” Caravan Industry Victoria CEO Rob Lucas said . “ We clearly understand our members across all sectors need new labour to meet current and future demands . We aim to assist them .”
The project is being funded by Jobs Victoria , led by Caravan Industry Victoria and economic development agency NORTH Link .
The project was launched on October 31 by employment minister Jaala Pulford at participating program industry member Crusader Caravans .
Victoria is the capital of the nation ’ s caravan manufacturing industry . The sector is worth $ 2.3 billion to the Victorian economy and demand for caravans has exploded in the past year with sales increasing by 30 percent across the industry .
With 90 percent of Australian caravans manufactured in Victoria , the industry contributes over $ 600 million in wages to the state ’ s economy every year .
The growth in demand for caravans has placed signicant pressure on manufacturers to expand but finding new and skilled workers has been a challenge and has hindered productivity , according to Mr Lucas .
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