The State Labor Party has announced their support for the development of
two new world-class plumbing training facilities for plumbers in Geelong and
Melbourne’s south-eastern suburbs. Shadow Minister for Higher Education and
Skills, Steve Herbert made the announcement at the Plumbing Industry Climate
Action Centre (PICAC) in Brunswick.
Hit hard by the closure of automotive industries in the region, these two
areas of Melbourne will now see two world-class facilities developed to
re-train skilled workers in sustainable plumbing jobs, ensuring a secure future
for these workers and their families.
The Chair of PICAC, Plumber’s Union Secretary Earl Setches said that the
industry in partnership with government will see training delivered in
industries of the future throughout metropolitan Melbourne. He added that PICAC
has retrained 10,000 plumbers in new technologies, with the number representing
half of the industry in Victoria.
Mr Herbert announced that a Labor Government would work with the
Victorian Building Authority and the plumbing industry to ensure the new PICAC
centres are used to support retrenched automobile manufacturing and supply
chain workers.
Deputy Chair and CEO of Master Plumbers, Ken Gardner said that the new
PICACs will support the development of skills to ensure a continuous supply of
needed tradespersons to the construction industry to support building activity
in the Greater Geelong and South East Regions.
The two new training facilities will provide up-skilling and competency
development to over 200 plumbing industry entrants, year on year,
particularly to those who are finding it difficult to gain employment with
their existing skill set.
Mr Setches added that PICAC Geelong and Narre Warren will train students
in a broad range of plumbing industry related skills, which will greatly
increase lifetime employability prospects.
