A Shorten Labor Government will invest $3 million to redevelop railcar training workshops at Midland TAFE – giving local students skills to work on the rollout of METRONET and future maintenance of the project.

The re-equipped workshops will create a specialist training centre to provide technical and support skills required by METRONET and the wider railcar industry – making sure locals get the skills they need to work on the project.
 
METRONET is a critical project to Perth’s future –creating more than 10,000 local jobs and easing congestion through Perth’s north-east.
 
North Metropolitan TAFE’s Midland campus is conveniently located just three kilometres from the Bellevue depot which has been earmarked as the new construction and maintenance hub for METRONET.
 
Engineering, metal fabrication, instrumentation and electro-technology are among the skills that would be taught at the centre.
 
The Midland campus also has the capacity for civil and construction trade training to support the workforce skills needed to construct new rail lines and stations.
 
The centre will work with METRONET, railcar contractors and other stakeholders to develop specific training and workforce programs.
 
Labor is investing in projects that will make a real difference to the lives of West Australians now and in the future.

Labor has already committed to investing $83 million to progress development of a new Midland Station and extension of the Midland line to Bellevue, creating up to 280 local jobs and building the infrastructure the region needs to grow.
 
This builds on Federal Labor’s existing METRONET commitments – we will invest more than one billion dollars in the project including Ellenbrook Rail, Byford Rail, and Midland train station.
 
Labor knows that rail is good for industry and good for communities – that’s why a Shorten Labor Government will establish a National Rail Plan to ensure that every dollar of Federal funding spent goes towards creating local jobs and protecting Australia’s rail industry.
 
We want to ensure that more trains are built in Australia by local manufacturing workers and that Australia preserves the strategic capabilities of Australian rail manufacturing – today’s investment builds on this commitment.
 
The Midland TAFE redevelopment is part of Federal Labor’s $100 million Building TAFE for the Future Fund aimed at revitalising TAFE campuses across Australia.
 
Labor’s plans to restore TAFE as the foundation skills and training provider across the country and is committed to ensuring at least two thirds of all government funding for vocational education will go to TAFE.
 
A Shorten Labor Government will also waive upfront fees for 100,000 students to attend TAFE and conduct a once in a generation national inquiry into the post-secondary education system within the first 100 days of being elected.