Construction has commenced on major upgrades to North Regional TAFE’s Pundulmurra campus, with $48.9 million in new facilities set to deliver a substantial boost to trade training in the Pilbara region. Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery today visited the South Hedland site to turn the sod for the new trades training facility and announce that Decmil Group has been appointed to carry out the construction.The significant project involves relocating the trades training activities from the TAFE’s South Hedland annex to the Pundulmurra campus; where new workshops, classrooms and specialist training areas will be built and set up with modern, industry relevant training equipment. The campus will also get a new commercial cookery training kitchen and classroom to cater for local secondary students, jobseekers and career changers. Its new state of the art facilities will deliver training for a wide range of in demand trades and specialist skill areas, including:
- heavy automotive;
- heavy mobile and fixed plant;
- engineering trades; and
- commercial cookery.
Extensive consultation was carried out with the local community and industries – particularly the resources sector – throughout the planning stages of the project, to ensure the new facilities are designed to meet the Pilbara’s training needs. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of next year, with training planned to commence in Semester 1, 2024.
Trades training facilities upgrades getting underway at the Pundulmurra campus include $43.2 million worth of improvements through the State Government’s Rebuilding our TAFEs initiative, and a $4.6 million facility for light automotive and automotive electrical training. A new $1.1m horticulture workshop was also completed earlier this year. These projects will significantly increase training capacity in the region, helping to meet demand for more skilled workers and apprentices and enabling North Regional TAFE to consolidate training delivery at Pundulmurra.
The Pundulmurra Trade Expansion is part of the State Government’s record $215.8 million investment in TAFE capital works projects, delivering first class learning opportunities to students and boosting the WA economy by generating jobs.
“This is a significant project for the Pilbara region, with the McGowan Government investing $48.9 million in upgrades to North Regional TAFE’s Pundulmurra campus." said Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery. “Extensive consultation was carried out to ensure the expanding trades training meets the specific needs of employers in the region while increasing training capacity to meet local demand for more skilled workers. The new contemporary facilities and industry relevant equipment will make it easier for local businesses to employ local residents, and go a long way towards meeting the Pilbara’s current and future trade training needs.”
Read the full media statement here
Main image: Artist rendering of the new trades training and hospitality training facilities.