A new hospitality and tourism training centre will be built south of Perth, aimed at producing new job-ready candidates for front-of-house, F&B, events management and tourism roles and arresting the industry’s skills shortage.
The centre, to be located at the Mandurah campus of South Metropolitan TAFE, is a result of an AUD$9.17 million investment by the McGowan state government – part of a wider AUD$229 million investment into vocational training and education to help the state rebuild after COVID-19.
The Mandurah TAFE Hospitality and Tourism Training Centre will focus on training apprentice chefs and hospitality workers to provide skills necessary to secure roles in hotels, event management venues and other tourism businesses across the state. The centre will cultivate pathway programs with secondary school students, young people and the long-term unemployed.
Further investment into TAFE training will see the government, either partially or wholly, cover TAFE fees to encourage youth engagement into training options which will address key skills shortages in a variety of industries.
Western Australia Premier, Mark McGowan, said skilled workers across a range of occupations would be in high demand as the economy recovers, meaning it was essential to strengthen the state’s vocational education and training sector.
“This world-class training facility will support the building of a highly skilled workforce in the greater Peel region across the hospitality and tourism industries,” McGowan said.
Education and Training Minister, Sue Ellery, said hospitality and tourism was a key area of employment, particularly with younger Western Australians.
“Having people from WA trained in delivering top-class tourism and hospitality experiences will be crucial to the State’s economic recovery post COVID-19.”