- $21.6 million to expand the Cook Labor
Government's successful Group Training Organisation (GTO) Wage Subsidy Program
- $10,000 incentive on offer to help qualified
building and construction workers to relocate to WA
- New programs to grow WA's building and
construction workforce
- $109.4 million invested in skilling local construction
apprentices through the GTO Wage Subsidy Program since 2022
The Cook Labor 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
Cook 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.
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
Final
details on the 'Build a Life in WA' payments will be available
online later this month.
Comments attributed to Premier Roger Cook:
"Building our
construction workforce is the key to unlocking more homes.
"My Government continues
to work with industry and training providers to train and skill-up Western
Australians to bolster our residential construction workforce, while also
attracting much-needed tradies to WA.
"WA is the engine room of
Australia, with a diversifying economy and enviable lifestyle that makes our
State a great place to build a life.
"We know that it's a big
investment for people to choose to relocate to our great State, which is why
we're offering a $10,000 payment to subsidise the costs of moving.
"Now is the time for eastern
states tradies to start the job search, connect with employers and organise
their trade registrations, so they can start the new year with a new job in
Western Australia.
"We are also expanding
our highly successful GTO Wage Subsidy Program, giving 175 more young Western
Australians an opportunity to take up a subsidised apprenticeship with WA
building and construction employers, so they can earn while they learn."
Comments attributed to Treasurer Rita Saffioti:
"We're focused on doing
everything we can to grow our building and construction workforce so that we
can deliver the housing Western Australians need.
"The $10,000 'Build a
Life in WA' incentive is aimed at reducing the financial barriers people often
face when choosing to relocate to pursue employment opportunities.
"For skilled tradies - such as bricklayers, electricians, plumbers, and
carpenters - WA offers well-paid and secure work with an ongoing pipeline of
building and construction projects."
Comments attributed to Training and Workforce Development Minister
Simone McGurk:
"We're providing a range
of incentives for building and construction employers and employees so we can
get more boots on the ground and get homes built sooner.
"The GTO Wage Subsidy has
been a big hit with small and medium businesses, and these additional places
will help even more of them with the cost of taking on an apprentice - building
a pipeline of workers for many years to come.
"The new $10,000 incentive
is another way the State Government is working to boost our building and
construction workforce as quickly as we can, so we can build more houses.
"WA has jobs available
immediately for those working in the building and construction industry,
especially in residential construction.
"With a new year on the
horizon, it's an ideal time for interstate construction workers thinking of
making a lifestyle change, to turn those plans into a reality."
