Free training is being expanded to encourage more people to take up apprenticeships
The WA government has announced that an additional 2,140 more free TAFE places will be available for construction and housing trades.
The federal government has pledged an additional $9.4 million in funding to address skills shortages in the house building sector.
From January 2025, 2,140 new fee-free TAFE places will be available, including up to 540 pre-apprenticeship places.
The Fee-Free trades pre-apprenticeships will give students an opportunity to learn about a trade such as bricklaying, cabinet-making, carpentry, electrical and plumbing, and prepare them for future employment-based trades apprenticeships.
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Western Australians who enrol in the new Fee-Free building and construction courses are set to save up to $1,425 in tuition fees in comparison to 2024 costs, helping to further reduce financial barriers to people engaging in vocational training.
“My Government continues to work with industry and training providers on the best ways to further grow WA’s residential construction workforce,” WA premier Roger Cook says.
“This partnership between the Cook and Albanese governments will add seven more building and construction courses to the Fee-Free TAFE list for 2025, taking the number of Fee-Free construction courses available to people looking to pursue a career in this in-demand sector to 17.
“The Western Australians who take up these opportunities are our future brickies, sparkies, tilers, chippies and plumbers, which is why affordable training is a critical part of our work to boost our state’s building and construction workforce’s capacity to deliver more homes.”