The new certificate courses, developed by South Metro TAFE, thanks to $2 million in funding from Rio Tinto, will be piloted in TAFE from August, as well as for Year 11 and 12 students in selected high schools and colleges across WA.
The Chamber of Minerals and Energy of WA (CME) Chief Executive Paul Everingham said its members were facing challenges in attracting the skilled workforce needed to build the resources sector of the future.
“WA’s resources sector is heading into an exciting new phase in terms of technology and innovation that will create thousands of new jobs for the next generation of workers and ensure Australia’s resources sector remains at the forefront of world’s best practice,” he said.
“In order to capitalise on these advancements towards automation, robotics and artificial intelligence, we need to ensure skilled local workers are available and we can only do this by ensuring we have courses and training opportunities that provide these skills.
“The new certificate courses will provide a fantastic opportunity for Western Australians wanting to gain the necessary skills and knowledge that will make them highly sought-after in the resources sector.
“I thank Rio Tinto for their support in funding the development of these qualifications to ensure WA’s resources sector remains globally competitive and is a leader in innovative technology.”
Mr Everingham said the initiative aligned with CME’s efforts to develop strategies to combat the skills gap through a taskforce established last year, which is looking at ways to encourage more young people to study resource-related disciplines, as well as re-skilling and better support current employees.