Simone McGurk opens $22m trade workshops at South Regional TAFE’s Albany campus

Apprentices learning their trades in the Great Southern will now have access to state-of-the-art facilities with new $22m workshops and teaching facilities officially opening this week. Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk cut the ribbon on three workshops and a classroom block at South Regional TAFE’s Albany campus on Wednesday. The new infrastructure, which will be named Kinjarling Trades Workshops, replaces previous 50-year-old facilities and will service students training in light and heavy automotive, metals and engineering, building and construction and electrical and plumbing trades. Ms McGurk said the new workshops represented a boost for regional tradespeople and the contemporary facilities were an incentive to “get more boots on the ground”. “Developing the regional workforce — so we have skilled tradespeople such as electricians, engineers, motor mechanics, metal fitters and machinists and plumbers — is vital to diversifying WA’s economy as we move towards a clean energy future,” she said. “The project is expected to boost the capacity for training delivery, enabling access for approximately 20 per cent more students. “It will also provide a training hub for the next generation of automotive, engineering, construction, electrical and plumbing workers for the region. “The State Government has made a significant investment of a quarter of a billion dollars to modernise TAFE colleges across the State — predominantly in regional areas — ensuring all Western Australian TAFE students are training in modern, world-class facilities that reflect what they will encounter in the workplace.” SRT Albany acting managing director Kathy Keay said the new buildings will provide students with facilities to meet modern industry needs. “(The new workshops) will provide a realistic industry workplace for students, which is modern, open and makes a great place to work and learn skills needed in the future,” she said. “We were battling to accommodate students in the old buildings and the extra space in the new facilities will allow us to take on additional apprentices.” Buildings are not the only new thing at SRT Albany with the campus benefiting from $1.38m in new equipment, including a 3D printer, drone, skid steer loader, on-ground mobile brake tester and industrial process laboratory as well as two electric and one hybrid vehicle costing $152,000.