09 May 2014
Australia’s oil and gas industry has welcomed the Western Australian Government’s commitment to the development of a new specialist engineering training centre at Henderson south of Perth.
The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA) says the facility will enhance WA’s growing reputation as a centre for excellence for offshore oil and gas and LNG processing.
The Government’s $15m commitment, included in yesterday’s State Budget, will double the annual training capacity from 900 students to 1800 students at Challenger Institute of Technology’s Australian Centre for Energy and Process Training (ACEPT).
APPEA Western Region Chief Operating Officer Stedman Ellis said the new facility will help train Australia’s future oil and gas workforce as projects transition from construction to operations and maintenance.
“The number of operational jobs in the oil and gas sector is forecast to increase by almost 60 per cent over the next five years when most of the $200 billion worth of projects under construction move into production,” Mr Ellis said.
“Investing in state-of-the-art training facilities like ACEPT helps ensure Australians develop the skills needed to secure these highly-skilled, well-paid jobs of the future.”
Mr Ellis said WA would also benefit from the Government’s $5m commitment to an expanded Perth Core Library in Carlisle.
He said the library, operated by the Department of Mines and Petroleum, was important in helping
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