Major boost for WA's building and construction workforce

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$10,000 incentive on offer to help qualified building and construction workers to relocate to WA.
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A man in a plaid shirt and tool belt holds a young girl in an orange top, with a construction project in progress behind them in a sunny outdoor setting.

The State Government will invest to supercharge training of WA's local building and construction workforce and bring tradies over from the eastern states.

An additional 175 places will be added to the highly successful Group Training Organisation Wage Subsidy Program, with $21.6 million invested to create more opportunities for Western Australians to complete a building and construction apprenticeship, and earn while they learn on the job.

The State Government is also calling on building and construction professionals and tradespeople from across Australia to venture west, with a $10,000 payment on offer to help with their relocation costs from January 2025.

The $10,000 'Build a Life in WA' incentive adds to the toolbox of measures now in place to bolster WA's critical building and construction workforce, and provide WA employers with the skills they need to meet demand - particularly in the residential housing sector.

Suitably qualified construction workers from all Australian states and territories will be eligible for the 'Build a Life in WA' incentive.

To continue to build the local pipeline of skilled tradespeople for the building and construction sector, the State Government will inject $21.6 million into its GTO Wage Subsidy Program to support an additional 175 places for building and construction apprentices and trainees.  

The expansion of the successful program, funded through the Construction Training Fund, will enable GTOs to provide more opportunities for Western Australians to complete an apprenticeship or traineeship.

This brings the State Government's total investment in the program to $109.4 million, subsidising 775 places for construction apprentices and trainees to date. 

To further support workforce expansion and potential job seekers, a new online WA Jobs and Workforce Hub has been launched to provide helpful resources all in one location for local, interstate and global job seekers looking for new opportunities, or to relocate to Western Australia. Visit the hub at www.jobs.wa.gov.au(link is external).

To learn more about the 'Build a Life in WA' incentive and Construction Visa Subsidy Program, visit www.buildalife.wa.gov.au

More information about the GTO Wage Subsidy Program is available on the Jobs and Skills WA website at www.jobsandskills.wa.gov.au/gws

Read the full media statement here
 

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