During 2016 RDAWEP worked with TAFE SA, members of the Whyalla and Eyre Peninsula Heavy Industry Cluster and DSD to establish a vocational training program to address the shortfall in apprentice intake over the past few years.
The program is currently a one year training program that includes full-time face to face training and supervised work placement. It has been developed primarily for heavy industry and supply chain businesses operating in manufacturing, including manufacture for Defence projects, mining, energy and resource processing industries. The technical skills developed by the programmed training is complemented by supervised workplace industry placements. A key aspect of this project is to incorporate “multi-trades” training increasingly required by employers.
There are currently multiple large heavy industry projects in planning in Whyalla and across the region. These will enter their operational phase over the next 1-4 years. A primary aim of this project is to sustain and build the capability of the local workforce to ensure that regional heavy industry businesses have the resources required to successfully bid for and undertake work on future heavy industry projects.