Victoria is pouring big money into training its mRNA manufacturing workforce. 

The Victorian government is investing $10 million to operate the Monash Centre for Advanced mRNA Medicines Manufacturing and Workforce Training, which will provide specialised training to workers across all aspects of the mRNA manufacturing life cycle.

To make sure students have the skills to meet industry needs, the centre will be advised by a scientific advisory group, including representatives from industry leaders, the CSIRO and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

The centre is designed to be the leading specialist mRNA training facility in the Asia Pacific. It will be used to train the future mRNA workforce, potentially putting Victoria at the forefront of the region’s vaccine and medicine manufacturing.

Victoria is already considered a leader in the development of mRNA technology in Australia, with Moderna’s mRNA Vaccine manufacturing facility in Clayton under construction set to be capable of producing 100 million vaccine doses annually.

The Government has also reached an in-principle agreement with BioNTech to establish its Asia-Pacific mRNA clinical research and manufacturing centre in Melbourne.

Victoria is responsible for almost 60 per cent of Australia’s pharmaceutical exports – making it the state’s highest-value advanced manufactured export.