- The delivery of two new TAFE Centres of Excellence have reached a major milestone with tenders released for stage one of the $138 million combined project.
- Four preferred contractors have been invited to tender for stage one of delivery of the TAFE Centres of Excellence in Petrie and Caloundra.
- The Crisafulli Government is backing TAFE at a time when it’s coming under attack from planned cuts by the Albanese Labor Government.
The Crisafulli Government’s election commitment to deliver four new TAFE Centres of Excellence has hit a major milestone with tenders now open for stage one of the facilities in Petrie and Caloundra.
The Caloundra TAFE Centre of Excellence will be built in the Sunshine Coast Industrial Park, while the Petrie facility will be located at the Moreton Bay Central site.
They form part of the Crisafulli Government’s $201.1 million investment into TAFE infrastructure, and will deliver targeted, industry-leading training in construction, manufacturing and related trades.
The milestone comes as the Albanese Labor Government continues to pursue cuts to Queensland’s Fee-Free TAFE funding, having put forward a proposal which would leave the State $208 million worse off and put 11,000 places at risk.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said it was further proof of the Crisafulli Government’s commitment to TAFE and delivering skills and training to Queenslanders.
“While the Albanese Labor Government pushes to cut Fee-Free TAFE funding, we are getting on with delivering the biggest expansion of TAFE’s physical footprint in decades,” Minister Bates said.
“The former Labor Government failed to build a single new TAFE campus in its entire decade of decline and created a skills shortage the size of an empty Suncorp stadium.
“There’s a lot of work left to do, but we are seeing promising signs of those workforce shortages easing and these TAFE Centres of Excellence will supercharge those efforts.
“They will set a new benchmark for TAFE facilities, providing students and apprentices with cutting-edge training environments tailored to the needs of industry and supporting the jobs of the future.”
Member for Caloundra Kendall Hatcher said the state of the art TAFE training facility would transform the local workforce.
“The Crisafulli Government is delivering a world class facility right here in Caloundra which is going to open doors for generations of future tradies,” Mrs Hatcher said.
“This TAFE Centre of Excellence will mean locals can learn where they live, kickstart their careers here and help ease the skills shortages Labor created on the Sunshine Coast.”
