- $25.2 million for Group Training Organisation Wage Subsidy Program
- $12.3 million to extend successful Build a Life in WA Incentive and Construction Visa Subsidy Program
- More than 1,200 skilled tradies in WA and working
- Building and construction employers have received more than $10 million in funding to sponsor skilled migrants
The Cook Government is continuing to invest in building the State's construction workforce, with a $37.5 million State Budget commitment to boost apprenticeships and training, and to attract skilled tradies ready to start work immediately.
Fulfilling an election commitment, the Budget includes $25.2 million to expand the Group Training Organisation (GTO) Wage Subsidy Program.
The program helps building and construction employers cover the cost of employing an apprentice or trainee.
This latest funding to the program unlocks places for an additional 225 apprentices or trainees.
The investment will fund 150 places at 75 per cent subsidy and 75 places at 100 per cent.
The government is also investing $12.3 million to extend successful programs that have already lured more than 1,000 building and construction workers to Western Australia.
The Build a Life in WA Incentive, targeting skilled workers who are Australian and New Zealand citizens, or permanent residents, and the Construction Visa Subsidy Program, that offers incentives to employers and skilled migrants, have seen hundreds of skilled workers move to WA for a better lifestyle and to help meet the demands of the State's building and construction industry.
The Build a Life in WA Incentive provides eligible building and construction workers with up to $10,000 paid via two milestone payments.
The program has attracted hundreds of qualified tradespeople from throughout Australia and New Zealand, with most coming from New Zealand, New South Wales, Queensland, and Victoria.
So far, 1,019 skilled workers have either successfully submitted a claim or are currently having their claim assessed for the Build a Life in WA Incentive. Of those, 361 have received the first milestone payment of $5,000 and started work in WA's building and construction industry. Of those 361, 220 are New Zealanders.
The top five occupations filled through the program have been electricians, carpenters, plumbers, bricklayers, and earthmoving plant operators.
These new skilled workers are helping to increase the workforce capacity of 301 building and construction businesses, with 43 of these businesses employing more than one skilled worker.
In another boost for employers, the Cook Government has extended its Construction Visa Subsidy Program for the third time due to strong demand from WA employers and skilled migrants.
The program is designed to help building and construction businesses engage skilled migrant workers, filling positions that are unable to be filled locally to help speed up delivery of homes and major infrastructure projects across WA.
Under the program, businesses can access payments up to $10,000 to offset costs such as migration agent fees, visa application fees and relocation expenses.
Building and construction employers have received more than $10.13 million in funding through the program to sponsor skilled migrants, with 849 of the 1,619 skilled migrants supported through the program to date having arrived in WA and commenced work with 364 building and construction businesses throughout the State.
Skilled migrants are working in trade and professional occupations across the building and construction sector including carpentry, electrical services, plastering, cabinet making, glazing, bricklaying, civil engineering, surveying, construction estimating and landscaping.
More information about the incentives is available at www.buildalife.wa.gov.au
As stated by Premier Roger Cook:
"These successful programs clearly show the message is out - the west coast is the best coast, and skilled tradies from overseas and the eastern states are voting with their work boots.
"We're thrilled so many have taken the opportunity to make the move to help meet the demand of Western Australia's booming construction industry.
"Our Budget commitment enables us to make a further 1,100 places available from 1 July 2025, and I'm sure they will be snapped up.
"These programs are another example of my government doing everything it can to boost the construction workforce."
As stated by Skills and TAFE Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson:
"Western Australia's economy is booming, and we need a skilled workforce to meet demand across a range of sectors including building and construction.
"To build this workforce, we're investing in training to deliver the workforce of tomorrow while also attracting job-ready tradies for the workforce of today.
"The GTO Wage Subsidy Program is supporting employers to take on apprentices and trainees and skill the next generation of building and construction workers.
"The Construction Visa Subsidy Program and the Build a Life in WA Incentive are leveraging our State's reputation as a great place to live, helping to quickly bolster the building and construction industry's workforce to meet immediate demands.
"And we're continuing to invest in training and TAFE, holding course fees at 2025 levels, adding fee-free TAFE places in construction-related courses, and ensuring students receive practical training at state-of-the art facilities featuring the same cutting-edge technology they will encounter in the workforce."
As stated by Housing and Works Minister John Carey:
"Our government is doing everything it can to increase the supply of housing, including finding new ways to increase our construction workforce.
"This program comes on top our massive investment in fee-free TAFE courses for construction courses and apprenticeships."
