Business bulletin: 9 September 2022

October Business Month (OBM) is back bigger and better with an exciting mix of keynote speakers, events and workshops designed to support, inspire and grow Territory businesses.

OBM is the Northern Territory’s premier annual business event providing Territory businesses with a month long program of events. This year also sees the return of OBM partner events, which are independently delivered by Territory businesses and industry and provide another way to build connections with the business community.

The program features high profile keynote speakers who will talk about leadership, resilience and overcoming adversity.

• Dr Richard ‘Harry’ Harris - one of the 2018 Thailand rescue diving team that saved 13 people from the flooded Tham Luang cave. He was also the joint 2019 Australian of the Year and is a speaker, author and filmmaker.
• Ita Buttrose AC, OBE - legendary media trailblazer, businesswomen, best-selling author, community and welfare contributor and former Australian of the Year. Ita was the founding editor of Cleo, the first woman to ever edit a major metropolitan newspaper in Australia as editor-in chief of the Daily and Sunday Telegraphs, and the first female director of News Ltd Australia. Ita is currently the chair of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
• Dr Anika Molesworth - a young Australian farmer, thought-leader of food systems and a researcher in international agriculture development. Anika was the 2015 Young Farmer of the Year and co-founding director of Farmers for Climate Action.
• Dan Pronk -served the majority of his military career with special operations units, including four tours of Afghanistan and over 100 combat missions. He was awarded the Commendation for Distinguished Services for his conduct in combat on his 2nd tour of Afghanistan. Dan is also the resident medic on SAS Australia.
• Christian Boucousis - a former Australian fighter pilot who employs lessons learned in an environment that pushes human physical and mental performance to the edge and then empowers organisations to look at their performance and the way they work together.

Eight Territory success stories will also join the keynotes this year, each bringing their own local story to inspire the business community.

To check out the full OBM program online, go to the OBM website.

The Territory’s high achieving individuals and businesses in the vocational education and training (VET) sector were recognised at the 2022 Northern Territory Training Awards gala dinner held on Saturday 3 September 2022.

The 2022 winners represent a wide range of industries including beauty services, business, community services, construction, electro technology, engineering, fitness, health and retail.

The 2022 NT Training Awards Individual category winners are:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year - Caraline "Dotty" Repu
• Austin Asche Apprentice of the Year - Mary Coulter
• School-based Apprentice or Trainee of the Year - Bella Faull
• Trainee of the Year - Sarah Pettifer
• VET in Schools Student of the Year - Tayla Hebbron
• VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year - Justin Burgess
• Vocational Student of the Year - Kira Vanderkley.

The 2022 NT Training Awards Business category winners are:

• Industry Collaboration of the Year - Gas Type B - A collaboration between Territory Generation, Gastrain and Charles Darwin University
• Large Training Provider of the Year - Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education
• Large Employer of the Year - Glencore McArthur River Mining
• Small Training Provider of the Year - WANT Training Services
• Small Employer of the Year - Frontier Marine Services.

VET plays an important role in future proofing our workforce and helping develop our local capacity, enabling Territory businesses to adapt and grow.

Northern Territory winners in eligible categories will progress to the national Australian Training Awards to be held in Adelaide on Friday 18 November 2022.

Registered training organisations (RTOs) still have time to access funding under the User Choice program and deliver training and assessment services to Territory apprentices and trainees in 2023.

Apprentices and trainees are a significant part of the Northern Territory Government’s investment into vocational education and training with $20 million allocated for the User Choice program in 2023.

The program provides flexibility for apprentices, trainees and their employers to select a preferred training provider to deliver accredited training to meet their specific needs.

The number of apprentices and trainee in the Territory is the highest in 10 years, with over 4,000 apprentices and trainees registered as of August 2022. The top 5 industries for apprentices and trainees in the Territory include community services, utilities, building and construction, automotive and sales.

Apprenticeships and traineeships provide Territorians with practical, transferable skills, workforce experience and the foundation of a solid career.

A skilled population is fundamental to supporting this sustainable growth and delivering long term industry development.

This year, there is a greater focus on training delivered in regional and remote areas. As such funding under the User Choice program has been increased for training that is delivered in regional and remote areas.

Applications close Monday 12 September 2022.

For more information on User Choice funding, go to the Northern Territory Government website.

Construction on the Crowley Bulk Fuel Storage Facility has commenced and will be the largest of its kind in the Territory.

Being built at Land Development Corporation’s Bulk Liquids Area at East Arm, the most advanced tank has 4 levels of steel strakes in place with all other tanks currently at various stages of development.

Crowley recently entered into a MoU with Larrakia Development Corporation to collaboratively develop job training programs that will lead to full-time employment in the new facility for Larrakia.

To date, the project has created around 200 jobs in its construction phase, and will support up to an additional 10 employees once operational.

Once finished, the facility will hold up to 300 million litres of military specification fuel for use by US Defence.

The $270 million project will play a pivotal role in servicing US defence operations in the region.

Construction is anticipated to be completed in September 2023, with the facility to be operational shortly thereafter.

The Aboriginal Tourism Grant Program Round 4 opened on Monday with an increased pool of funds and a wider scope.

This round the program has been expanded to enable Northern Territory (NT) Aboriginal owned businesses and organisations who are interested in diversifying into the tourism sector to apply, and $1 million has been allocated. Previous rounds have only been open to tourism enterprises.

NT Aboriginal owned businesses can apply for support between $30,000 and $100,000 to upgrade or develop new infrastructure, or develop new tourism products.

Applications close 14 October 2022.

To apply, go to GrantsNT.