TAFE green energy training boost for South Australian electricians

The Albanese Labor Government is investing in the next generation of skilled Australian workers, with a TAFE training academy to be established in South Australia to train electrician and automotive students in emerging green energy technologies.

The $2.1 million TAFE SA Green Energy Technology Training Academy (GETTA) project will establish training hubs at campuses in Whyalla and Tonsley, and a transportable training facility to take training to sites in regional and remote South Australia.

The GETTA project will develop technology so the training environment can digitally mirror a physical hydrogen plant to give students the most realistic and real-world training possible.

The academy will provide opportunities to train about 3,500 students annually in electrotechnology and automotive courses.

The Albanese Government is committed to putting TAFE at the centre of the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector. The Government is investing $50 million for TAFEs across the country to upgrade facilities and ensure TAFE is delivering training to standards expected by students and industry.

GETTA is filling an identified skills need in response to the growing hydrogen and green energy skills needs across the state, including for Port Bonython and other planned hydrogen projects.

South Australia continues to benefit from the Albanese Labor Government’s $1.5 billion Fee-Free TAFE Skills Agreement, funded jointly by the states and territories. More than 16,000 students enrolled in Fee-Free TAFE courses in South Australia from 1 January 2023 to 31 March 2024.

The Government is continuing to work with states and territories, to roll out 320,000 Fee-Free TAFE and VET places nationwide over the next three years.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles:

“The Albanese Labor Government is focused on giving Australians the opportunity to access world-class training and delivering the skills we need for the future, including in the transition to a net zero economy.

“The hydrogen and green energy technology training hubs will play an important role in upskilling electricians for planned hydrogen projects in South Australia.

“Fee-Free TAFE continues to kick goals in South Australia with more than 16,000 students enrolling since it started in 2023.”

Quotes attributable to the Member for Boothby, Louise Miller-Frost:

“I’m thrilled that local students here in the Boothby electorate will be able to access this innovative kind of training to springboard or upskill their careers.

“We are making sure people in Boothby can get the skills they need at TAFE Tonsley to make the most of emerging green energy technologies.”