If elected, a Shorten Labor Government and the McGowan Government would partner to build a new $20 million state-of-the-art TAFE in Armadale.
Premier Mark McGowan and Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery made the announcement and welcomed the $10 million contribution from Federal Labor.
The State Government would match Federal Labor’s commitment if they are elected on May 18.
The purpose-built facility would provide a high-quality environment for local students and apprentices to learn the skills they need for growing industries.
Current training delivery in Armadale is dispersed across three ageing and outdated leased premises located in the Armadale town centre.
The broader Armadale region has a high need for vocational training programs to provide pathways into long-term employment for youth and older unemployed seeking retraining.
Students across the south-eastern suburbs would benefit from the new TAFE, including in Kelmscott, Roleystone, Seville Grove, Brookdale, Champion Lakes, Mount Nasura, Jandakot, Southern River, Bedfordale and Byford.
There are 12 secondary schools in the Armadale area and the future population growth requires appropriate facilities and courses to accommodate the growing number of students seeking quality educational and training opportunities.
Once the TAFE is built, high schools in the area will be able to partner with the new TAFE to offer VET for secondary school qualifications.
As stated by Premier Mark McGowan:
“I look forward to partnering with Federal Labor if they are elected, and building a new contemporary TAFE campus to provide a modern environment for students across this region.
“Creating more jobs, maximising training opportunities and increasing our skills base is a key focus of my Government.
“As part of our METRONET plan, students from across the region will be able to easily connect to Armadale when the Thornlie-Cockburn Link and Byford Rail Extension projects are completed.”
As stated by Education and Training Minister Sue Ellery:
“This funding will ensure local students will have access to world-class training facilities in Armadale and ensure Western Australia has access to a supply of highly skilled workers to support growth areas.
“This new contemporary campus facility will offer a wider range of courses to serve the south-east metropolitan corridor’s rapidly expanding population.”
As stated by Armadale MLA Tony Buti:
“This announcement is incredibly important for my local community. The Training Minister and I have been working to increase the presence of TAFE in the Armadale region.
“Specialist training for local young people and retraining for older Western Australians will ensure we have the skills to take up the jobs of the future.”
