As part of the WA Recovery Plan, the McGowan Government today announced a world-class hospitality and tourism training centre will be built at South Metropolitan TAFE's Mandurah campus.
The $9.17 million centre will vastly improve the greater Peel region's capacity to train job-ready, highly skilled chefs, front of house staff, and events management and tourism workers.
The facility, set to replace an ageing home economics-style room, will focus on training apprentice chefs and engaging local secondary students, young people and the long-term unemployed in vocational education and training.
The Mandurah TAFE Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre is part of a record $167.3 million investment in capital works projects, announced by Premier Mark McGowan earlier today, which will see five Western Australian TAFE colleges significantly upgraded.
The major capital works spend, key to the State Government's $229.2 million Rebuilding our TAFEs plan, will deliver state-of-the-art learning opportunities for students and boost the Western Australian economy by generating jobs.
The Rebuilding our TAFEs plan includes:
- $167.3 million in capital works projects across WA
- $25 million for free TAFE short courses to upskill thousands of Western Australians
- $32 million for the expansion of the Lower fees, local skills program
- $4.8 million for the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Re-engagement Incentive
Mandurah's new state-of-the-art training facility will meet demand for more skilled workers and greater youth engagement in the region by expanding training options and the number of half price courses available, as part of the State Government's Lower fees, local skills initiative.
Initially launched in January, the initiative halved the cost of training for 34 high priority qualifications. In July, the program was expanded to include an additional 39 courses reduced by up to 72 per cent to align with the State's immediate economic needs following COVID-19.
South Metropolitan TAFE's Mandurah campus currently delivers half price courses and fee free skill sets in hospitality including a Certificate II in Kitchen Operations and the Commercial Kitchen Skill Set.
The half price courses are also targeted at job opportunities that relate to capital works initiatives such as the Rebuilding our TAFEs plan.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
"Skilled workers across a range of trades and occupations will be in high demand as the economy recovers and it's essential that we strengthen WA's vocational education and training sector to upskill and retrain Western Australians.
"This world-class training facility will support the building of a highly skilled workforce in the greater Peel region across the hospitality and tourism industries.
"The Rebuilding our TAFEs plan will help create a pipeline of jobs for Western Australians, ensuring the State rebounds from this pandemic stronger than ever."
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"Hospitality and tourism is a key area of employment particularly with younger Western Australians.
"Having people from WA trained in delivering top-class tourism and hospitality experiences will be crucial to the State's economic recovery post COVID-19."
