WA’s TAFE lecturers Immerse in industry placements to address skills gap

The fulfilment of a $9.9 million election pledge to provide WA TAFE college lecturers with firsthand experience of the skills and workforce requirements of various industries through industry placements demonstrates the ongoing commitment of the Western Australian Government to TAFE.

The ‘TAFE College Lecturers Industry Placement Program’ is ready to prepare lecturers from different districts of the state with vivid encounters in contemporary industry practices.

These experiences empower them to bring significant bits of knowledge back to TAFE College, setting up the future labour force to fulfil industry needs.

Monique Taaffe, an NM TAFE lecturer conveying Certificate II in Autonomous Workplace Operations, highlighted the advantages of her placement at Rio Tinto’s Operations Centre.

She noted that the experience broadened how she might interpret automation and facilitated industry associations gainful for her students’ learning.

“I gained exposure to extensive areas of the business which gave me a better understanding of the mining industry supply chain. I also made new industry connections which may facilitate site excursions for students this year,” Taaffe said.

Essentially, Adrian Fallon, an NM TAFE Electrical Instrumentation lecturer, shared his insights from positions at Rio Tinto’s Operation Centres.

He featured the relevance of aligning course training reports to industry policies and procedures, especially in safety and troubleshooting, to serve his students, who are specialists on site.

Minister McGurk emphasised the crucial role of preparing in cultivating skilled labourers to help local businesses and networks, in this way supporting Western Australia’s economy.

“Industry-relevant training and hands-on experiences help to ensure students receive the best possible preparation for the workplace and future careers in the industry,” McGurk said.

Rio Tinto Vice President People, Matt Kimball, highlighted the meaning of these lecturers in instructing the up-and-coming age of labourers who might join their business, and in working on the arrangement of fundamental materials to fulfil global demands.

“The program ensures lecturers remain connected and up-to-date with the latest technology and industry practices and share this knowledge with their students,” Kimball said.