Skills boost for civil construction through industry-backed program
Skills boost for civil construction through industry-backed program
Pilot program to change traineeships to apprenticeships
The State Government has joined with Western Australia's civil construction industry to establish a new pilot program to increase the number and quality of new workers entering the sector. This pilot program will help build a skilled local workforce in the civil construction industry to support the State Government's $13 billion commitment to civil infrastructure projects over the next four years.
Skills boost for civil construction through industry-backed program
Pilot program to change traineeships to apprenticeships
The State Government has joined with Western Australia's civil construction industry to establish a new pilot program to increase the number and quality of new workers entering the sector. This pilot program will help build a skilled local workforce in the civil construction industry to support the State Government's $13 billion commitment to civil infrastructure projects over the next four years.
Under the program specific civil construction qualifications in WA are changing from a traineeship to an apprenticeship, extending training from 24 months to 36 months with the aim of improving skills and employment opportunities. The move will result in the first cohort of civil construction apprentices, who will receive a trade certificate on completion of their Certificate III qualification, boosting qualified civil construction trades.
For more information, please read the CCPP FAQs available at dtwd.wa.gov.au/apprenticeship-office#useful-fact-sheets or at ctf.wa.gov.au.
Funded by the Construction Training Fund (CTF) and developed in conjunction with the Civil Contractors Federation WA (CCFWA) and Construction, Forestry, Maritime, Mining and Energy Union (CFMEU), the $5.99 million program will cover a wage gap created by the transition, ensuring employers and apprentices are not disadvantaged by the transition to the new qualifications.
- A wage subsidy of up to $14,000 will be provided to employers who employ junior apprentices (under 21), and there will also be wage gap funding for 50 direct employment mature age civil construction apprenticeships.
- The CTF has also increased its base grant for employers from $8,000 to $10,000.
The CTF apprenticeship support grant is available to eligible employers, and is intended to cover the costs incurred by the employment and training of an apprentice during the term of the training contract. Throughout the four-year pilot program, it is anticipated that around 250 junior apprentice wages will be subsidised and more than 1,200 new apprentices are expected to commence in the civil construction sector.