The State Government's record investment in TAFEs has seen Central Regional TAFE achieve higher enrolments in automotive retail, service and repair courses in Kalgoorlie on the back of opening the new state-of-the-art heavy trades and engineering workshops.
Visiting Central Regional TAFE's Kalgoorlie campus today, Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk said the new facilities opened in March will lead directly to highly skilled workers for the Goldfields region.
Automotive retail, service and repair enrolments, which includes heavy duty automotive, plant mechanics and auto-electrical trade disciplines, at the Kalgoorlie campus are up more than 69 per cent at the end of October 2024, compared to the start of the pandemic in 2020.
Of the more than 2,100 publicly funded program enrolments recorded at Central Regional TAFE's Kalgoorlie campus to the end of October 2024 this year, 409 have been in Fee-Free qualifications and skill sets, with another 982 recorded in the reduced-fee Lower Fees, Local Skills initiative. Both these affordable training opportunities are State Government initiatives to support training for priority areas of the WA workforce.
These promising results for the Goldfields region follow the State Government's announcement that Western Australia achieved the highest vocational course enrolments on record in 2023, up 10 per cent on 2022, driven by its investment in affordable training, and supported by new facilities and equipment across the WA TAFE network.
The State Government announced an $8 million top-up in the 2024-25 State Budget to continue to meet high demand for the successful Fee-Free TAFE initiative in 2025.
The State Government has also delivered the largest TAFE capital works program in the State's history, with 15 projects to upgrade essential infrastructure at TAFE colleges across the State thanks to a $250 million investment. A further $25 million has been invested in modernising equipment at TAFEs across WA.
Central Regional TAFE has received major upgrades to three of its campuses, which enables more people in the regions to be trained locally.
Across all programs delivered at the Kalgoorlie campus in 2024, enrolments by Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people have increased by 66 per cent since the start of the pandemic. Enrolments by women increased by 37 per cent.
The most popular automotive retail, service and repair courses at the Kalgoorlie campus in 2024 include the Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology, Certificate III in Automotive Electrical Technology and Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology.
Automotive retail, service and repair courses at the Kalgoorlie campus have been particularly popular with younger students aged 24 and under this year, with enrolments to the end of October 2024 up 56 per cent since the start of the pandemic. Youth aged 24 or under make up 63 per cent of enrolments at the Central Regional TAFE Kalgoorlie campus.
Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk said, "More Western Australians are in training than ever before, and I'm thrilled to see these record numbers reflected in increased automotive retail, service and repair course enrolments at Central Regional TAFE's Kalgoorlie campus."
"Following our opening of new state-of-the-art heavy trades and engineering workshops, we're seeing uptake of courses in these areas vital to the Goldfields workforce soaring - and it's particularly good to see so many young people taking up training."
"The upgrades to Central Regional TAFE's Kalgoorlie campus are part of the Cook Government's $250 million investment in the largest TAFE capital works program in WA's history - which is delivering world-class learning opportunities for students."
"In Kalgoorlie, we're seeing very quickly how this investment is supporting local students to be job-ready and better equipped to take up local employment opportunities in the automotive industry."
Kalgoorlie MLA Ali Kent said, "It's fantastic to see these upgrades making a real difference to students in Kalgoorlie, with more than 2,100 publicly funded enrolments by students at the campus to the end of October."
"This investment will allow more local students to train close to home, right in the heart of our mining and resources hub - and hopefully go on to take up the many job opportunities on offer in the Goldfields."
