MINISTER for industry and innovation Ben Carroll was in Ballarat last week to visiting local businesses SEM Fire and Rescue and Journey2.<\/p>\n
SEM Fire and Rescue is one of the country\u2019s biggest manufacturers of emergency vehicles and has workers taking part in the State Governments $4.5 million Digital Jobs and Manufacturing Program which launched last October.<\/p>\n
The program offers manufacturing businesses grants which allow their employees to enrol in a 12-week course.<\/p>\n
Murkesh Arella is a mechanical engineer at SEM Fire and Rescue and enrolled in an additive manufacturing course via the grant, where he learnt about new technologies like 3D printing.<\/p>\n
He said the course was particularly important in an every-changing technological environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe program helps us to design parts better and quicker as well as analysis skills which help us know the part is alright and structurally strong,\u201d said Mr Arella.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m really glad I took part in the course because it\u2019s been four years since I finished my masters, and it helps to learn new things as a lot has changed since then.\u201d<\/p>\n
Technologies like 3D printing have allowed SEM Fire and Rescue to make parts quickly and cheaply when compared to ordering them from suppliers.<\/p>\n
That has ped up the company\u2019s ability to produce emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire trucks.<\/p>\n
New skills are also central to the State Government\u2019s SummerTech LIVE program that\u2019s aiming to match university students form information and community technology fields with small-to-medium sized business.<\/p>\n
The students work on the projects at enterprises through a 12-week paid summer internship.<\/p>\n