New minister Greg Hunt makes car industry job loss support a priority

New Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Greg Hunt told Tom Elliott, the job losses caused by the closure of Ford manufacturing factories is a priority for him going forward.

Ford are set to shut down plants in the country as of October 7th with thousands of jobs to be lost.

The Minister said his new responsibilities include softening the blow for workers losing their jobs.

‘Along with the Victorian Government we have a 90 million dollar next generation manufacturing program which is part of a broader 155 million dollar program to help Victoria and South Australia with the job losses in the car industry,’  Hunt said.

‘I’m focusing on job creation, current jobs, emerging jobs and jobs of the future.’

The former Minister for Environment said the government plans to provide training options as part of the transition for workers.

‘The most important thing we’re doing is the combination of providing pathways for those firms supporting the car industry to diversify and provide job support and training for those workers that have been directly in the car industry,’ Hunt said.

‘This was a decision that was made a long time ago, but it has a real human consequence so we have to make us, and this is the whole point of my ministry, as competitive as possible. If we don’t do that, the firms won’t survive and thrive.

‘We’ve got to recognise that it’s about giving job security to every possible person.’

Holden and Toyota will join Ford in closing Australian factories next year.

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview on 3AW