NORTH Metropolitan TAFE in Midland is becoming home to a high-tech renewables trade training centre, where students will train on commercial scale wind turbines and learn to work at heights to prepare for the jobs of the clean energy future.

Earlier this month Hasluck MHR Tania Lawrence and federal Skills and Training Minister Andrew Giles visited the Midland TAFE to check out the progress of the high-tech renewables trade training centre.

The North Metropolitan TAFE website said co-located with a broad range of training for existing trades they are investing $3.24 million to install wind turbines and a working-at-heights training tower.

“We are working towards Global Wind Organisation (GWO) certification and will deliver courses in vertical rescue skills, hazard awareness and renewable energy storage – the centre will be a Western Australian first,’’ the website said.

Mr Giles and Ms Lawrence also had an opportunity to see the next generation of healthcare and childcare workers in training in Midland TAFE’s real world and simulated environments.

They said under the government’s new policy, childcare workers would benefit from a 10 per cent wage increase in December and another 5 per cent in December 2025.

To help them manage the costs of doing the mandatory work placements student nurses at Midland TAFE and around the country will be able to access the commonwealth prac payment from July 1 next year.

Student social workers and teachers will also be able to access this payment.

Ms Lawrence said many present were mature-age students preparing to change careers and taking advantage of fee free courses to upskill.

“These students are learning in a training system that lets all of us access skills, make a good living, and make our society the best to live in anywhere in the world.’’