The Albanese and Cook Governments today announced a further 2,140 Fee-Free TAFE places will be available in housing and construction in Western Australia.
The additional places are made possible through Albanese Labor Government funding of $9.4 million, as they partner-up with the Cook Labor Government to address skills shortages to build the houses that Western Australians need.
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.
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 and joining WA's in-demand construction workforce.
From 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2024, Western Australia has seen 63,489 students enrol in Fee-Free TAFE courses. Over this period, to help areas of high skills need and demand in Western Australia Fee-Free TAFE has supported:
- over 24,900 enrolments in the Care sector
- over 10,500 enrolments in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector
- over 7,100 enrolments in the Technology and Digital sector
- over 3,800 enrolments in the Hospitality and Tourism sector
- over 2,100 enrolments in the Construction sector
There have been over 11,400 regional and remote Fee-Free TAFE students in Western Australia since 1 January 2023.
The announcement today builds on the Albanese and Cook Governments' commitment to addressing housing supply as a national priority under the National Skills Agreement.
Comments attributed to WA Premier Roger Cook:
"My Government continues to work with industry and training providers on the best ways to further grow WA's residential construction workforce.
"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."
