- Cook Labor Government delivering $5 million to upgrade electrical trades at Rockingham TAFE
- Funding will deliver a new all-purpose workshop on site to increase training capabilities
- WA will need thousands more electricians over the next decade in clean energy and defence industries
- Cook Labor Government delivering hundreds of millions of dollars to support free and low fee TAFE
The Cook Labor Government is powering up electrical training at South Metropolitan TAFE's Rockingham campus, committing $5 million to a brand-new state of the art training facility.
The all-purpose workshop could support up to 340 electrical apprentices and pre-apprentices each year, as well as being used for training in other trades such as forklift truck training.
South Metropolitan TAFE Rockingham campus is strategically located adjacent to the Western Trade Coast precinct, providing an ideal training location to contribute to the training needs of the industries operating in the area.
A new electrical training facility will increase training capacity while opening up opportunities for people living in the southern suburbs to undertake training close to home.
Electricians are in high demand across building and construction, defence, advanced manufacturing, and clean energy, with employers competing for a limited pool of workers in Western Australia.
Workforce projections show WA will need 4,200 electricians just in the clean energy sector in the next five years. In addition, electricians is one of the highest growth occupations forecast for the defence industry, with a 37 per cent increase required by 2035.
Currently, there are more than 5,400 enrolments in the Certificate III in Electrotrechnology Electrician.
Thanks to the Cook Labor Government's investment in free and low fee training, the course now costs $1,618, down from $3,247.
As stated by Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"We know that as major clean energy and defence projects come online over the next decade we will need thousands more electricians.
"When complete, our $5 million upgrade will create a new all-purpose workshop at South Metropolitan TAFE's Rockingham campus, that will be able to support up to 340 electrical apprentices and pre-apprentices each year.
"It will also create significant opportunities for students and apprentices in Rockingham and Secret Harbour to train and study closer to home.
"The Cook Labor Government is putting WA first. This is part of our plan to make more things in WA by WA workers."
As stated by Rockingham MLA Magenta Marshall:
"The Cook Labor Government's investment in skills and training is helping Western Australians to be job-ready so they can benefitfromour State's strong, diversified economy.
"Our region is central to WA's growing defence industry and with this comes exciting new career pathways and quality jobs.
"Having this state-of-the-art facility at Rockingham TAFEmeans more local people can train close to home andwill help build a stronger, more skilled workforce that will supportdefenceindustry and the opportunities that come with it."
