The coordinator position, filled by Skills DMC employee Jeremy Blockey, is part of the project aimed at guiding skilled workers in the Cairns region to work on major resource projects.

The coordinator for the Commonwealth-funded project will work with companies in the resource industry on bringing workers to projects across the northern and western regions of Australia.

Information collected on Cairns-based workers should be used to assist local employment service providers and training organisations to guide unemployed skilled workers to gain jobs on resource projects.

The two-year pilot project forms part of the national resource sector workforce strategy launched in March this year.

FIFO pilot project steering committee chairman Greg Lane said the Cairns region was the first in Australia to benefit from the federal government’s initiative in putting a FIFO coordinator on the ground working with industry.

He also acknowledged comments by the Minister for Tertiary Education Chris Evans, who said he supported the initiative and would investigate a further four potential coordinators to be based around the country.

The position will involve working with local organisations to identify potential skilled-labour pools and with airline services to facilitate a FIFO workforce that meets companies’ needs.

The initiative is being supported by the Chamber of Minerals and Energy Western Australia and the Queensland Resources Council.