A returned Albanese government will co-fund a $40 million national training centre in Melbourne to reskill thousands of plumbers and gas fitters for the changing energy system.
Federal Labor on Monday committed half the funding for the National Training Centre in New Energy Skills, planned for west Melbourne.
The Allen state government and the union backed Plumbing Industry Climate Action Centre (PICAC) would invest $10 million each.
The centre would upskill 2,000 tradespeople including plumbers, gas and refrigeration workers, and train 200 apprentices each year.
The training would include best practice for energy upgrade technologies like heat pumps, which are being rolled out around the country under state subsidies.
The new centre is a first of its kind, but Labor is also rolling out TAFE Centres of Excellence around the country, including ones in NSW for clean energy manufacturing and another for renewable hydrogen.
“We are committed to ensuring Australians get the skills they want, in the sectors we need,” Skills minister Andrew Giles said.
“With our New Energy Apprenticeship inventive payments, Free TAFE and a fantastic training facility like this, there has never been a better time to pick up the tools and become a new energy tradie.”
The non-government partner on the new Melbourne centre, PICAC, is a national training organisation formed by five unions at the start of the Millennial drought in 2009 to address the skills shortage in sustainable plumbing.
PICAC CEO Shayne La Combre said the new centre brings together government, unions and industry for a skills push.
“Upskilling our tradespeople and apprentices for rapidly evolving energy technologies is vital for Australian homes and businesses to make the most of energy transition opportunities.
“We can help thousands of young people into rewarding new energy careers, upskill existing workers and help more women into new energy trades.”
Earlier this month, the Coalition announced a $25 million commitment to build 12 new technical colleges across Australia, the first being an $18 million trade college to be located in NSW’s Maitland.
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