Bolstering Kimberley training with $16 million TAFE investment

  • $10 million for new Broome Hospitality and Student Services Centre
  • $6 million for Kununurra Health and Hospitality Trade Training Centre
  • Upgrades will support the region’s extensive hospitality and tourism sector
  • Half price courses and free skill sets in tourism, hospitality, aged care and disability
  • As part of the Rebuilding our TAFEs plan, the McGowan Government today announced funding for the construction of new state-of-the-art training facilities at North Regional TAFE’s Broome and Kununurra campuses.

    The $10 million Broome hospitality centre will provide students with a contemporary training environment and will be home to a brand new live works training restaurant and alfresco café.

    Live training restaurants add vibrancy to local communities and foster better industry partnerships while delivering industry-standard training.

    The new centre will ensure students are job-ready and equipped to take up local employment opportunities in the hospitality and tourism industry as well as in the wider region such as catering in mine sites.

    The Broome campus currently delivers hospitality training from an off-site leased centre. The new centre will allow the college to vacate two leased premises and join the main campus, which will add vitality to campus life for all students and visitors.

    A further $6 million has been allocated for a health and hospitality trade training centre at the Kununurra campus. The new training facility will enable the College to deliver National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and aged care training.

    The new project will provide simulated in home care training facilities to support NDIS related training.

    North Regional TAFE’s upgrades are part of a $167.4 million investment in capital works projects, announced by Premier Mark McGowan earlier this week, which will see five Western Australian TAFE colleges significantly upgraded.

    As part of the McGowan Government’s commitment to regional WA, almost half of the total spend, more than $79.1 million, has been allocated to projects at regional TAFE colleges.

    North Regional TAFE’s Pundulmurra campus (South Hedland) and Minurmarghali Mia campus (Roebourne) are also set to receive new facilities through the initiative.

    The major capital works spend, key to the State Government’s $229.2 million Rebuilding our TAFEs plan, will deliver state-of-the-art learning opportunities for students and boost the Western Australian economy by generating jobs.

    The Rebuilding our TAFEs plan includes:

    • $167.4 million in capital works projects across WA
    • $25 million for free TAFE short courses to upskill thousands of Western Australians
    • $32 million for the expansion of the Lower fees, local skills program
    • $4.8 million for the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Re-engagement Incentive

    The new state-of-the-art training facilities will meet demand for more skilled workers in the region by expanding training options and increasing the number of half price courses available, as part of the State Government’s Lower fees, local skills initiative.

    Initially launched in January, the initiative halved the cost of training for 34 high priority qualifications. In July, the program was expanded to include an additional 39 courses slashed by up to 72 per cent to align with the State’s immediate economic needs following COVID-19.

    The courses with reduced fees are also targeted at job opportunities that relate to capital works initiatives such as the Rebuilding our TAFEs plan.

    As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:

    “Improving TAFE facilities is a key component of the WA Recovery Plan.

    “This $16 million investment in the Kimberley will deliver world-class training facilities to the region’s health and hospitality industries.

    “Vocational education and training will play a major role in WA’s economic recovery and, through our Rebuilding our TAFEs program, we’ve invested $229.2 million to support the sector.

    “This capital works program will not only support the creation of jobs in the short term, it will deliver a highly skilled local workforce and revitalise the region.”

    As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:

    “Hospitality and tourism are vital to the Kimberley region and these upgrades will ensure the delivery of first-class training in Western Australia’s top end.

    “As the economy recovers, we will continue to focus on upskilling and training Western Australians to get them back to work in areas that will drive economic activity across the State.”

    Premier’s office – 6552 5000

    Education and Training Minister’s office – 6552 5700

    /Public Release. View in full here.