The McGowan Government will transform the Midland TAFE campus into a specialist training facility that will equip young Western Australians with the skills to build METRONET.
Premier Mark McGowan today welcomed a $3 million commitment from Bill Shorten and Federal Labor to redevelop the Midland TAFE and its workshops into a specialist centre that provides the specific technical and support skills required for railcar manufacturing and METRONET maintenance.
The METRONET Trade Training Centre will be only three kilometres from the site of the new Bellevue METRONET railcar manufacturing facility - where currently 246 railcars required for METRONET will be manufactured.
Midland TAFE will work with the METRONET project team, the Public Transport Authority and railcar contractors and subcontractors to develop specific training and workforce development programs to ensure they complement future plans for METRONET.
A recent report by the Australasian Railway Association highlighted a potential future skills shortage in the Australian rail sector, and the METRONET Trade Training Centre will aim to make Midland a key destination for aspiring rail workers.
The McGowan Government will ensure that at least 50 per cent of METRONET railcars are manufactured in Western Australia, creating opportunities for local workers and apprentices. Under the previous government, only two per cent of railcar manufacturing was undertaken in WA.
As noted by Premier Mark McGowan:
"The Midland METRONET Trade Training Centre will ensure Western Australians are in the box seat to capitalise on jobs and training opportunities created through METRONET.
"METRONET will transform our city, creating a world-class public transport system connecting Perth's suburbs. It will also create thousands of jobs for Western Australians.
"As METRONET gets underway, the world-class training facilities at Midland TAFE will ensure Western Australian workers are well equipped to manufacture the next generation of railcars.
"It's fitting that we are able to make this announcement just days before the 25th anniversary of the closure of the Midland railway workshops."
As noted by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
"I congratulate Bill Shorten and Federal Labor on their commitment to transform Midland TAFE into a leading training facility for locally manufactured railcars.
"This funding will ensure local workers have access to the most modern training equipment and facilities, just three kilometres from the site of the new METRONET railcar manufacturing facility.
"Midland TAFE is well placed to train WA workers for futures in railcar manufacturing, with course options available to meet the diverse METRONET training needs, including engineering, metal fabrication, instrumentation and electrotechnology."
As noted by Transport Minister Rita Saffioti:
"Midland is the historical heart of rail manufacturing in Western Australia and I am pleased that, under the McGowan Government, rail manufacturing will return to the area.
"The METRONET Trade Training Centre will complete the railcar manufacturing hub in Midland, which will support the local economy and create life and vitality in the area. It will complement our commitment to ensure at least 50 per cent of METRONET railcars are manufactured in WA.
"Midland is a key part of our METRONET plans, with plans for the Bellevue extension and the new Midland station underway.
"This is about preparing WA workers for the huge pipeline of future rail projects - not just across Perth, but wider Australia - and ensuring they have the skills to build and maintain our expanding rail systems."
