Gold Coast trade training a winner after the Games

Trade training on the Gold Coast will benefit from a Palaszczuk Government investment of $1.5 million to redevelop the Commonwealth Games Corporation’s head office into a home for industry-grade electrical training.

Announcing the revitalisation project at TAFE Queensland’s Ashmore campus, Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said the stage one development would also include a $500,000 upgrade to the carpentry and wet-trades training areas.

“That’s $2 million to put this campus on the map as TAFE Queensland’s leading trade training presence in the region,” Ms Fentiman said.

“The Ashmore campus is in a strategically important location to support the trade training needs of the entire Gold Coast region and it’s important that our campuses support our drive to attract more apprentices and trainees, and develop more skilled workers.

“TAFE Queensland is training our future tradies and our investment is invaluable when it comes to giving Queenslanders the skills they need for the jobs of the future.

“Unlike the Turnbull Government, which stripped out $60 million in training dollars from Queensland in the last federal budget – that’s more than 6,000 traineeship and apprentice places at risk across the state and more than 3,000 right here in the south east corner, including the Gold Coast.

“At this campus the future is flying in, literally, with two courses being trialled that focus on drone technology – one for recreational drones and one for commercial drones.

“The redevelopment will increase student capacity and competitiveness and will ensure that courses such as these attract increasing numbers of students and industry partnerships.

"The current cohort of 1,600 electro technology, air-conditioning and refrigeration students and future students will benefit from the modernisation project.

“Student capacity is expected to grow by 200 in the first year, attracting more students to study in skills in demand areas,” Ms Fentiman said.

“The new facilities will allow the campus to offer extra night and weekend classes, expand online training and increase flexibility in delivery and hours of study.”

Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon said that design work for the $2 million stage one redevelopment would begin early in the new financial year and the work was scheduled to be completed by 30 June 2019.

“It’s very exciting for our Ashmore campus students and it’s all part of the Palaszczuk Government’s commitment of up to$85 million for three years across TAFE Queensland campuses,” Ms Scanlon said.

Media contact: Bernadette Condren 0417 296 116