Aspiring truck drivers in remote regions of WA will now be able to access training programs thanks to a $3.5 million expansion of the state's popular driver training program.
The McGowan Government in the state of Western Australia (WA) is rolling out its successful Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations training program to the Kimberley and Pilbara, to help train local people for local jobs.
The government says the expansion, funded as part of the 2023-24 State Budget, is expected to result in more truck drivers, including women and Aboriginal people, hitting the road.
Developed in collaboration with industry to address the truck driver shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Australian-first program provides theoretical and practical hands-on truck driver training to train job-ready workers for the priority transport industry.
The additional $3.5 million investment in the program will support North Regional TAFE to deliver the training to around 350 participants in the Pilbara and Kimberley over a four-year period, providing employment opportunities for local people, including Aboriginal people, living in these regions.
It will also support the economy, including Government civil construction projects, by providing a trained, local heavy vehicle workforce, and address the need for heavy vehicle driver training in the Kimberley and Pilbara.
Transport Minister Rita Saffioti says the course has been well received.
“It’s fantastic to see such a strong uptake in the Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations course since it began two years ago, and this expansion will provide a much-needed boost to the transport industry in the Kimberley and Pilbara.
“With 350 participants expected through the course over the next four years, the McGowan Government is helping to create a pipeline of skilled workers for this essential industry well into the future.
“Supporting economic growth, industry diversification and greater regional engagement, remain our key priorities,” Saffioti says.
Run in the metropolitan area from April 2021, and expanded to the South-West and Mid-West over the past two years, the state government says its Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations program trains new workers and upskills existing workers to combat skills shortages and supports the transport and logistics industry.
Training Minister Simone McGurk says the initiative helps to strengthen a vital sector of the economy.
“The McGowan Government’s partnership with industry to deliver this course – the first of its kind in Australia – is helping to create the highly skilled and inclusive workforce needed for a strong, diversified and sustainable economy.
“Participants are given practical, hands-on experience, ensuring they’re job-ready when they complete their course, and I’m particularly excited to see so many women taking up the opportunity.
“The Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations training program has helped hundreds of people gain employment in the heavy haulage industry, and I’m confident that success will be replicated when it’s expanded to the Kimberley and Pilbara.
“Our 2023-24 State Budget continues important work towards removing barriers so all Western Australians can gain the skills needed for rewarding careers,” McGurk says.
Since February 2023, of the 552 participants enrolled at a TAFE college to undertake the Heavy Vehicle Driving Operations program, 282 had achieved either a Heavy Rigid, Heavy Combination, or Multi Combination licence.
Significantly, around 30 per cent of participants in the course have been women, compared to the overall female representation among truck drivers in Western Australia being less than four per cent.
You can find more information on the government initiative on their website here.