Centres to benefit students

Students across Rockingham and Kwinana are set to benefit from a multi-million dollar Trade Skills Centre after the Federal Government honoured funding for the project to move forward.

The Peron Trade Skills Centre, originally announced as the Trade Training Centre in July last year, is set to offer students at eight schools the option of qualifications in allied health and chemical engineering.

Gilmore College principal Carolyn Cook said she was pleased the project would move forward, after taking charge of the bid for the centre when she joined the school 2011.

“There will be two sites — Gilmore will offer processed plants and chemical engineering training, which fits very nicely with some of the other work we are already doing and Rockingham Senior High School site will have allied health,” she said.

“The centres will be simulating the real work conditions so they will know exactly what will be expected of them,” she said.

Brand MHR Gary Gray said it was exciting the centres he had campaigned for would be delivered.

“I am happy to see that the importance of this program has not been lost on the Government and that it is one program that we can all be proud of,” he said.

“It is very exciting to have such a valuable program delivered locally.”

Liberal Senator Scott Ryan said the Education Department was negotiating funding agreements for the approved projects.

“Final construction timeframes will be agreed with the WA Government as part of the funding agreement negotiations,” he said.

Mr Ryan said the centres’ projects were evaluated and approved in accordance with program guidelines.

“The qualifications being offered at these Trades Skills Centres including in allied health, align with the project employment growth in WA over the five years to November 2017 that predicts expected strong rates of employment growth, with gains spread across construction, health care and social assistance, education and training and retail as the mining boom subsides.”