MEDIA RELEASE: LABOR’S $20M INVESTMENT TO KICK-START CHULLORA RAIL TECH TAFE

TONY BURKE MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR CITIZENSHIP AND MULTICULTURAL AUSTRALIA
MEMBER FOR WATSON
 
SENATOR DOUG CAMERON
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SKILLS, TAFE AND APPRENTICESHIPS
SHADOW MINISTER FOR HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS
SENATOR FOR NEW SOUTH WALES
 
JASON CLARE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR TRADE AND INVESTMENT
SHADOW MINISTER FOR RESOURCES AND NORTHERN AUSTRALIA
MEMBER FOR BLAXLAND
 
LABOR’S $20M INVESTMENT TO KICK-START CHULLORA RAIL TECH TAFE
 

A Shorten Labor Government will invest $20 million towards a purpose-built Rail Technology Campus (RTC) at the Chullora rail precinct.
 
This election will be a choice between a united Shorten Labor Government which will give Australians the training they need to get the jobs of the future, or more of the Liberals’ cuts and chaos.
 
Labor’s plan would put TAFE at the centre of a new rail technology campus to train local tradespeople for local jobs, and to secure New South Wales’ transport future.
 
The RTC would train rail sector employees to construct, operate and maintain rail systems in a wide range of industry and government organisations.
 
Federal Labor would partner with industry, unions, the NSW Government and its agencies to establish the campus to provide skills for the growing rail sector.
 
A fully-fledged Rail Technology Campus would have the following facilities:
 

  • Digital learning labs.

  • Housing for rail fleet traction (carriages).

  • Virtual reality simulators.

  • Electrical substation and electrical infrastructure.

  • Various track configurations and turnout types connected to the main line.

  • Axle counters, and digitised ballises (signals).

  • Mechanical plant and workshops.

  • Welding facilities – such as wire feed welding, alumina-thermic welding, rough cutting, grinding and ultrasonic testing.

 
Labor’s investment is predicated on the Rail Technology Campus operating as a partnership between TAFE NSW, NSW government rail agencies, Sydney Trains, unions and a range of principal contractors and rail vendors.
 
Co-investment from the NSW Government will be required, including a commitment to put public TAFE at the centre of rail training. Ongoing commitment from industry will also be required.
 
Once established, up to 3,000 tradespeople and 400 rail workers could graduate from the Rail Technology Campus each year.
 
Projections by BIS Oxford Economics show 10 years of growing demand for skills in the rail sector given the $100 billion of investment in rail coming online over the next decade.
 
Only Labor has the policies to increase the capacity of the vocational education system and the skills of the Australian workforce.

Labor has also committed to more than $1 billion in additional investment in TAFE, including:

  • $50 million for 10,000 pre-apprenticeship programs.

  • $83 million to support 20,000 Adult Apprentices.

  • $200 million Building TAFE for the Future Fund.

  • $380 million to waive the upfront fees for 100,000 TAFE students.

  • $334 million for 150,000 additional Apprentice Incentives.

  • $12 million to support women into trades.


Only a Shorten Labor Government will deliver better TAFEs for all Australians.
If you want a fair go for all Australians - vote Labor.

Funding for this commitment has been included in Labor’s Fair Go Budget Plan, available at http://www.alp.org.au/labors_fiscal_plan

End the chaos. Vote for change. Vote for Labor.

THURSDAY, 16 MAY 2019

Tony Burke