- Fee-free and low-fee courses helping train Broome's workforce of the future
- Almost two-thirds of publicly funded enrolments at North Regional TAFE Broome are fee-free and low-fee
- More than 110 publicly funded enrolments in health, education and care courses
- Campus boasts new hospitality, hair and beauty and student services facilities, thanks to Cook Government's record investment in TAFE infrastructure
The Cook Government's commitment to fee-free and low-fee training, combined with its record investment in WA TAFE colleges, is helping hundreds of Kimberley students at North Regional TAFE (NRT's) Broome campus skill up for local job opportunities.
Almost two-thirds of the 599 publicly funded enrolments at NRT's Broome campus are by students training in fee-free and low-fee courses, demonstrating the importance of making training accessible to all Western Australians.
NRT's Broome campus offers a variety of fee-free and low-fee courses in priority industries such as building and construction, the care sector, and hospitality and tourism, to meet local skill demands.
In the first term of 2025, fee-free and low-fee courses in the health, education and care industry have been popular with students, with more than 110 publicly funded enrolments in courses including School Based Education Support, Early Childhood Education and Care, Community Services and Youth Work.
A further 53 publicly funded enrolments have been recorded in Maritime Operations courses and skill sets, helping to build a skilled workforce for Broome's local maritime industry.
There have been more than 55 publicly funded enrolments in building and construction qualifications with students training in Carpentry, Civil Construction Plant Operations and Construction Pathways.
Students training in civil construction at NRT's Kimberley campuses are also benefiting from the State Government's $810,000 investment in new equipment through the Modern Equipment Program, ensuring they are training with the latest industry-standard equipment that reflects what they will encounter on the job.
The new equipment includes a tip truck and trailer, tandem roller, loader, an excavator, and a skid-steer.
The State Government will invest an additional $33.8 million over the next four years to expand the Modern Equipment Program to deliver new equipment for electrical, building and construction, health, driver training, automation and manufacturing courses.
In addition to the new equipment, NRT's Broome campus has also received an infrastructure upgrade as part of the Cook Government's record $250 million investment in WA TAFE colleges. The Broome campus now boasts state-of-the-art hospitality, hair and beauty and student services facilities, which were opened in June 2023.
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"WA's TAFE colleges are the heart of our State's vocational training system and they play a crucial role in skilling the workforce for the communities they serve.
"The State Government is committed to ensuring all Western Australians - regardless of where they live - can access world-class training that gives them the skills needed to thrive in the State's workforce.
"At a time when every dollar counts, I'm proud that my government can help reduce the barrier to training, by offering fee-free and low-fee courses.
"It's pleasing to see that two-thirds of publicly funded enrolments at the Broome campus are in fee-free and low-fee training courses.
"Through funding fee-free and low-fee training courses and making them available throughout WA - including in regional communities such as Broome - my government is helping Western Australians to get the skills they need to be able to participate and get ahead in the workforce."
As stated by Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"North Regional TAFE's modern Broome campus is the largest training facility in the Kimberley and is well-positioned to provide high-quality training so locals can skill, upskill and reskill.
"The State Government is committed to investing in the future capability of WA's TAFE colleges to ensure they provide high-quality, industry-relevant training to Western Australians, setting them up for success in the workforce.
"Thanks to the State Government's investment in our TAFE colleges, North Regional TAFE's Broome campus now has state-of-the-art hospitality, hair and beauty, and student services facilities which will serve the Kimberley community for many years to come.
"Through funding from the Modern Equipment Program, civil construction students in the Kimberley are also benefiting from training on the latest industry-standard equipment which they'll come across in the workplace.
"The State Government is committed to investing in the future capability of WA's TAFE colleges to ensure they provide high-quality, industry-relevant training to Western Australians, setting them up for success in the workforce."
As stated by Kimberley MLA Divina D'Anna:
"It's great to see so many people taking advantage of free and low-fee training opportunities at North Regional TAFE so they can get the skills they need to land quality jobs.
"We want to train local people for local jobs and provide them with valuable employment pathway opportunities, and that's why our government is focused on making training affordable and accessible for everyone."
