Lord Digby Jones visited Perth in Western Australia as a guest of the Western Australian Government to speak at the Oil and Gas Conference. Perth is practically a boomtown with so many natural resources being shipped through it or being dug up or drilled for within the State and a willing purchaser for the lot just up the road in Beijing.
The challenges that such economic change brings were highlighted by Digby. A lack of skilled people and a disinclination to tool up on the skills front due to the availability of semi-skilled, well-paid work – a need for the physical infrastructure to be upgraded.
But he also praised Perth for its “can-do” approach, its friendliness, its job and business opportunities in many sectors for UK companies … and the weather!
Successful visits to Western Australia’s JCB dealership and the 4th largest Triumph dealership in the World rounded off an excellent business experience … and he’s promised to be back in Oz in May 2011.
