A pilot programme which offers complete training for truck drivers was announced by Sue Ellery, Minister of Education and Training yesterday, accompanied by the WA Premier, Mark McGowan.
The new course is titled the Heavy Haulage Driving Operations Skill Set, and is endorsed by the Western Roads Federation.
It was developed following considerable industry consultation and will fill key skills gaps for this essential service.
The course runs for five weeks and will teach of a range of skills that encompass the entire truck driving experience including time and personal safety and management such as eating well, sleeping management and more.
The five-week course will help jobseekers increase their employability by giving participants eight units of competency from the Certificate III in Driving Operations and a leg up to complete the full qualification.
South Regional TAFE is working in partnership with Keens Truck Driver Training to deliver the new program.
Interviews with industry employers will also be arranged on successful completion of the programme.
The South Regional TAFE campus in Collie has recently been upgraded and the new training course will commence in these new facilities until a dedicated training space is completed as part of Collie’s Stage 2 upgrade.
The course will complement the WesTrac Technology Training Centre, which is the first of its kind in the southern hemisphere and is partly funded by the State Government.
The course has been opened to train students in the use of autonomous trucks and other mining equipment, to create a skilled workforce as mines continue to move toward autonomous vehicles.
