A major upgrade is underway at South Regional TAFE’s Albany campus, bringing modern new training facilities to the Great Southern region. The $22.17 million new trades workshops will be used to deliver training in traditional trades such as automotive, metals and engineering, and electrical and plumbing.
Training Minister Simone McGurk visited the Albany campus today, checking on progress of construction. The state-of-the-art workshops will replace the ageing 50 year-old trade facilities, and will provide a contemporary training setting in line with local industry needs. The upgrades include construction of new specialist workshops for heavy and light auto, metals fabrication and electrical and plumbing, and new contemporary classroom spaces for students.
The project also includes relocating and upgrading the existing Skills Training Workshop, and a new classroom for training of working at heights and confined spaces. After completion of the main trade workshop project, a separate project will be initiated to enable the transformation of an existing structure into a new carpentry and joinery workshop for the precinct.
The new facilities will allow more young people and local jobseekers access to specialist trade training in the region, with student capacity expected to increase by approximately 20 per cent. The project is being constructed by local builder Wauters Building Company, employing more than 200 workers throughout construction, including apprentices and trainees. Design was carried out by Albany architectural firm H+H Architects. Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2024. The State Government is investing a record $215.8 million to upgrade essential infrastructure at TAFE campuses across Western Australia, as part of the WA Recovery Plan.
“The major upgrade at South Regional TAFE’s Albany campus is a huge gain for the Great Southern region, with more people able to train locally and meet the workforce needs of local industry." says Training Minister Simone McGurk “The $22.17 million project is expected to boost student numbers by approximately 20 per cent, as well as provide jobs for local workers throughout construction. The McGowan Government has made a significant investment to modernise TAFE colleges across the State - including regional areas - ensuring all Western Australian TAFE students are training in modern, world-class facilities.”