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‘State-of-the-art’ $10m heavy plant TAFE officially opens

Team builder working adjust pillar with crane lifting prefabricated pillar concrete for installation in project house construction site. Steel formwork support.

A new $10 million heavy plant TAFE has officially opened in Kalgoorlie to better serve the heavy plant skills shortage in the Goldfields-Esperance region.

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Announced on March 22, Training and Workforce Development Minister, Simone McGurk, opened Central Regional TAFE’s new Heavy Plant and Engineering Trades Workshop.

According to the WA Government, the facility will expand Central Regional TAFE’s capacity to train more skilled workers for local jobs, including in the resources sector, with McGurk labelling the Goldfields-Esperance region as “vital” for WA’s economic prosperity.

“Qualified tradespeople are in high demand in the region, with almost a third of the workforce employed in mining – and demand is expected to continue over the next few years,” she said.

“The upgrades support students to train and work close to home in the same environment they will find in the workplace, ensuring they are job ready.”

The $10 million upgrades also include the refurbishment of existing workshops at the Kalgoorlie TAFE campus and $2.4 million worth of training equipment.

The facilities are now providing training for students in the plant mechanics, heavy auto and auto electrical trade disciplines with a dedicated workshop, classrooms and laboratory spaces.

As part of the project, the WA Government has delivered computer-based simulators to support training in the areas of electrical engineering and electronics, as well as a range of other equipment to offer a realistic workshop training environment.

The $10 million invested in the Central Regional TAFE is part of the WA Government’s overarching $243 million TAFE capital works program attempting to provide training tailored to the needs of key industries across the state and combat the heavy plant skills shortage.

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