The NSW Government has today announced a $802,000 infrastructure investment to help provide the pipeline of skilled construction workers in the Orana region.
TAFE NSW Dubbo is one of 16 campuses to share in a state-wide $6 million investment which will see new covered outdoor learning areas to facilitate carpentry and joinery training, regardless of weather conditions.
Member for the Dubbo electorate Dugald Saunders said this investment will enhance the carpentry and joinery training at TAFE NSW Dubbo and allow it to better meet industry expectations by providing training in real, or closely simulated, practical workplace environments.
“This facility will permit students to safely gain critical skills such as constructing wall frames and erecting roof trusses,” Mr Saunders said.
“Not only that, it will significantly reduce the number of days lost to inclement weather, speeding up training and increasing TAFE NSW’s capacity to train new apprentices.
“This covered outdoor learning area has been specially designed to support carpentry and joinery training, bringing high-quality, hands-on training to students in rural and remote areas.”
Nationally, the demand for carpenters and joiners is projected to grow 11.74 per cent over the next five years.
Dubbo TAFE carpentry teacher Ben McQuillan said the outdoor area helps contextualise student learning.
“This provides the opportunity for students to build a few projects that we can actually start at the ground level, and continue up with those, allowing them to see where they started and where they finished at the end of the job,” Mr McQuillan said.
For more information about the trades courses on offer at TAFE NSW, visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.