The State Government will provide South Australia’s wine and wine tourism industries better access to cutting edge technology, which will further drive the state’s booming wine exports, through funding.
According to a recent press release, the program, called ‘Foment – SA’s Wine and Tourism Tech Revolution’, will offer support to wine and wine tourism start-ups to help them take advantage of new advanced technologies.
About the initiative
Premier Steven Marshall said the investment will ensure the continued growth of the wine and wine tourism industries in South Australia, which are so critical to the state’s economy.
The Foment program is designed to benefit South Australia’s wine and wine tourism industries by helping to embrace technology to enhance their global capability and competitiveness.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Tim Whetstone said adopting new technology is crucial to the future of the South Australian wine industry.
He added that Foment is exciting as it focuses on businesses that bring in disruptive technologies and add value to the wine and wine tourism sectors.
The wine industry in South Australia is the shining light of the food and beverage sector and investing in this intensive program will only assist to provide a platform for new ideas.
Boosting South Australia’s wine sector
This funding will help develop the accelerator program, including a strategy detailing how it will run.
Foment will run in partnership with the Flinders New Venture Institute, which is the incubator and acceleration arm of Flinders University, and a business growth specialists company.
South Australia is the undisputed wine capital of the nation, with 50% of all Australian wine made from their grapes and 80% of all premium wine also from there.
The state’s wine industry is a pillar of strength for the South Australian economy, with latest data showing its revenue has risen to more than AU$ 2 billion.
Skilling South Australia project
In other news, the South Australia Government will train more than 2,600 apprentices and trainees in over four years under a new public sector Skilling South Australia project.
The project will broaden apprenticeship and traineeship opportunities across the South Australian Public Sector in key areas of skills demand.
These areas include Cyber Security, Allied Health, Child Protection, Education Support, Horticulture, and Clinical Coding.
Benefits of the project
Minister for Innovation and Skills David Pisoni said the significant training program will provide new training opportunities for more young South Australians.
At the same time, this will also increase the opportunity to upskill or reskill existing staff.
This program will ensure more South Australians are equipped with the skills and experience required to advance their careers and will provide industry and employers with the skilled workforce they need to grow.
The Office of the Commissioner for Public Sector Employment will partner with a Group Training Organisation (GTO) to support the implementation of the program.
How will it work?
Apprentices and trainees will be provided with on-job experience, training and mentoring support, as well as a formal qualification from a registered training organisation (RTO) to kick-start their careers.
The project is part of the State Government’s Skilling South Australia initiative to create 20,800 additional apprenticeships and traineeships over four years.
The whole of government training target as part of Skilling South Australia is a key part of lifting the profile and status of apprenticeships and traineeships and will significantly enhance skills development in the state.
Commissioner for Public Sector Employment Erma Ranieri said as the state’s largest employer, the public sector has a key role to help build rewarding careers for South Australians.
Finding avenues to employment for South Australians is important.