Works start on Caloundra TAFE Centre of Excellence

• Early site works are underway on a new TAFE Centre of Excellence in Caloundra.
• The new facility will help deliver skilled construction workers to build Queensland’s future. 
• World-class facility is one of four TAFE Centres of Excellence being delivered as part of the Crisafulli Government’s election commitment. 
• The Crisafulli Government is securing a pipeline of skilled tradies after Labor’s skills shortage. 

Work is underway on a new TAFE Centre of Excellence at Caloundra, delivering more opportunity for Queenslanders to gain a trade, and helping secure a pipeline of skilled construction workers to build Queensland’s future.  

The Caloundra site is one of four new TAFE Centres of Excellence being delivered by the Crisafulli Government, as part of a key election commitment. 

The new facility at Caloundra will train more apprentices in construction and allied trades to support the State’s pipeline of infrastructure, housing and Olympic and Paralympic Games projects. 

The $78 million facility is now under construction after works on the new Rockhampton and Petrie facilities got underway earlier this year, which are the first new TAFE Centres built in Queensland in 15 years.

It's just one of the ways the Crisafulli Government is delivering more jobs and building Queensland's future after Labor’s failure to invest in TAFE and training left a skills shortage.  

Labor failed to build a single new TAFE campus, and Labor’s failure to develop a pipeline of skilled workers left Queensland’s construction workforce crippled by a peak shortfall of 50,000 skilled workers. 

That peak shortfall has already eased considerably under the Crisafulli Government to 35,000. 

Premier David Crisafulli said the new TAFE Centre of Excellence at Caloundra would help deliver the skilled workers needed to build Queensland’s future. 

“This is about unlocking opportunity to lock in more tradies, and build a better a future for Queensland,” Premier Crisafulli said. 

“This new Caloundra TAFE will help launch thousands of tradies’ careers and set them up for success.  

“There has never been a time where there is more infrastructure and more opportunity for tradies in this state.   

“Whether it’s homes, hospitals, roads, rail or the Games, there’s no shortage of projects that will benefit from the skills learned at this TAFE Centre of Excellence.” 

Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said the new Centre of Excellence would play a critical role in easing the skills shortage created by the former Labor Government. 

“Labor didn’t build a single new TAFE campus during its entire decade of decline, while the Crisafulli Government already has three under construction as part of our $201.1 million expansion of TAFE,” Minister Bates said. 

“We inherited dire skills shortages right across the State, but we’re committed to fixing Labor’s mess and delivering Queenslanders with opportunities that will lead to very rewarding careers.