$14.6 million announced for WA Defence TAFE Centre of Excellence

The Commonwealth and state governments have announced that $14.6 million will be invested in a WA Defence TAFE Centre of Excellence,

According to a statement on Wednesday, the centre will teach “the newest and best skills across maritime, air, land, space and cyber security sectors”, as well as help WA workers “to upskill and secure high-tech, well-paid jobs,” and “build a pipeline of defence skills” for the nation.

The centre will operate across four South Metropolitan TAFE campuses across WA. The federal funding provided is through the five-year $325 million National Skills Agreement, which aims to “provide high quality and responsive skills training for critical and emerging industries” through a network of up to 20 TAFE Centres of Excellence.

“Within the next two to five years, skilled workers will be needed to support nuclear-powered submarine sustainment work and naval shipbuilding in WA, across a variety of fields such as electrical trades, cyber security and mechanical and fabrication trades,” said WA training minister Simone McGurk.

“The Defence Industry Skills Centre of Excellence will uplift training opportunities through curriculum innovation, training pathways and programs, and higher apprenticeships to skill, upskill and reskill Western Australians for defence industry careers.

Like previous federal-state-funded TAFE Centres of Excellence, it will work with universities on possible higher-level apprenticeships. 

Other planned programs through the centre cited in the release include:

• A six-month Women in Defence Industry Scholarship to be extended and be led by the Centre, providing “the opportunity to train on electronics and engineering alongside qualified tradespeople”; and
• A new Defence Industry Pathways for Year 11 students, with graduates awarded a Certificate III in the course and an education on “the various career options in defence industries”.

Picture: credit WA government