A NEW state-of-the-art training facility that will help meet the demand for skilled community service workers in the Peel region has officially opened at Challenger Institute of Technology’s Peel campus.
Training and Workforce Development Minister Liza Harvey said the facility will change the way training in the community services and health care sector is delivered in the region.
“The community services and health care industry is one of Western Australia’s biggest employers and the demand for skilled workers is expected to increase,” Mrs Harvey said. “Population projections for Peel show that the number of people over the age of 70 will increase from 14 per cent, as it is now, to about 20 per cent by 2026.
“This highlights the importance of having a suitably trained and skilled local workforce that will be able to care for those people in this age group.”
The centre includes a virtual nursery that accommodates four simulated babies in their cots, which will be used for initial training in working with babies in child care. There is also an aged care training area.
Regional Development Minister Terry Redman said the facility would enable Challenger Institute to provide targeted training opportunities and maximise the region’s workforce participation.
“The facility will complement existing training support services, providing tangible social benefits and greater employment opportunities that will contribute towards a strengthened regional economy,” Mr Redman said.
The facility was made possible by $6 million from the Royalties for Regions Skills Training Initiative.