The Albanese Labor Government is continuing to support the growth of TAFE in the Northern Territory, investing $2.5 million to establish a Technical Trades Training Centre at Charles Darwin University's Katherine campus.
The centre will provide training in current and emerging skills priorities in the region including building and construction, engineering, electrotechnology, plumbing and automotive.
CDU is contributing $1 million towards the total cost of $3.5 million.
New facilities will include welding bays, drill presses and bench vices. Equipment will be designed to be mobile or disassembled for easy storage.
A Technical Trades Training Centre in Katherine will expand capacity for the delivery of vocational education and training in the region and create a pathway for disengaged young people, especially First Nations people.
The Albanese Government's $50 million TAFE Technology Fund is upgrading and expanding TAFE facilities across the country, including laboratories, workshops, equipment and simulated learning environments.
This latest investment builds on opportunities created through the Albanese Government's Fee-Free TAFE initiative, which removed financial barriers to enrolment for over 355,000 Australians in 2023.
More than 1,600 Territorians enrolled in Fee-Free TAFE last year, the vast majority in remote areas.
The Australian Government is investing $502.9 million for an additional 320,000 Fee-Free TAFE and VET places nationwide over the next three years.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O'Connor:
"We believe everyone deserves access to vocational education and training, including Australians in remote areas of the country.
"Establishing a Technical Trades Training Centre at Katherine will help Territorians acquire the skills they need for rewarding careers, while also supporting economic growth in the region.
"Our $50 million TAFE Technology Fund helps ensure TAFEs, including those in remote areas, are equipped to deliver training to the standards expected by students and industry."
Quotes attributable to Minister for Skills, Training and International Education Joel Bowden:
"The Lawler Labor Government is investing $109 million in Budget 2024 into vocational education and training.
"The $3.5 million Technical Trades Training Centre to be built in Katherine will facilitate the capacity for vocational education and trade delivery in Katherine and play a crucial role in supporting economic development in the Big Rivers Region.
"This investment will provide facilities for traditional trades such as carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, refrigeration, electrotechnology, engineering and automotive."
