Tasmania’s Earthworks Academy is one step closer to a reality, and will help address civil construction labour shortages
The Tasmanian government has signed a grant deed to deliver the state’s first live Earthworks Academy, a purpose-built training to site to help more Tasmanians prepare for jobs in the civil construction industry.
The grant deed signed for the $4.3 million Academy, located in Quercus Park, Carrick, includes $1.8 million to establish the site’s infrastructure and $2.5 million for equipment.
Civil Contractors Federation Tasmania is set to run the Earthworks Academy, delivering real life training in a safe, controlled environment, and is anticipated to have its first students begin training in early 2026.
CCF Tasmania says that inspiration for the Earthworks Academy was drawn from Civil Train South Australia’s Civil Construction Live Works training site in Burton, north Adelaide, which shows the value of providing live site-based training for the local construction industry.
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With an average of 667 additional plant and machinery operators and other critical sector occupations needing to be trained and employed annually over the next couple of years in order to meet demand, CCF Tasmania says the Earthworks Academy will “significantly improve the sector’s ability to rapidly train operators in a safe, controlled environment”.
It adds that the Earthworks Academy will also strengthen pathways for encouraging more people into the sector by hosting events such as career ‘come and try’ days, school programs and training collaborations with other sectors such as agriculture and forestry.
Tasmania minister for skills and training Felix Ellis says the Academy will help labour shortages by ensuring thousands of workers are job-ready to deliver Tasmania’s $27 billion infrastructure pipeline of works.
“The Academy will be key in helping to address skill shortages in the sector, including for earthmoving plant operators, bulldozer operators, excavator operators, grader operators, loader and road roller operators, and truck drivers.
“The Academy will not only support the multiple road upgrade projects across the state, but will play a critical role in delivering the workforce we need to get more homes built for Tasmanians,” Ellis says.