By Craig Potter
SHEPPARTON businessman Deepak Singh believes the region’s economic growth is limited unless a lack of skilled resources is addressed soon.
Mr Singh, managing director of rapidly expanding Shepparton-based company Gradian Projects has called upon a public forum to address the lack of skilled resources in the Goulburn Valley region and says a return to technical and engineering colleges is vital for future growth.
“Shepparton has a great opportunity as the hub to this great Goulburn Valley region and all it offers by advancing our own workforce. As a whole, Australia is not advancing, we need to have our own engineers and develop our own skills,” said Mr Singh.
“Why can’t we have these technical colleges that we used to have 25 years ago?”
Mr Singh has raised the issue with Greater Shepparton Council, calling upon a forum to look at more schools and more choices to retain local youth and attract more skilled workers for the industries here that need them.
“We have SAM (Shepparton Art Museum) and the Courthouse which are two very impressive centrepieces for the city but we also need to develop what is needed and that is develop our industrial skills here, otherwise it’s an opportunity lost.
“We need more schools, not just engineering and technical ones but even private, why not bring more private schools, more choices to educate and attract people and industry to Shepparton and the region,” said Mr Singh.
Shepparton-based Gradian Projects is itself experiencing rapid growth in the three years since it began operation and Mr Singh says while the company has already created 13 new full time equivalent jobs in 2021, they need more.
The company recently acquired its third company in Milne Construction and Fabrication in Numurkah in February and has strong plans for expansions in 2021 to employ locals and bring manufacturing back into the region.
It is currently looking for another 10 jobs to be filled, including roles for employees with sales, estimating and fabricating qualifications and experience.
“It’s not just us, there’s a huge demand for companies like ours, local companies who need more staff and we need to look at the big picture, not just here and now, but into the future. Where are these employees going to come from and what will happen to good, locally run businesses if they can’t find them?” Mr Singh said.
