Training Minister Simone McGurk said the Bricklaying Job Ready program is helping to meet strong demand for bricklayers in the local building and construction sector. Photo: Facebook.
A Western Australian Government scheme to provide free training to jobseekers so that they may reskill or upskill as bricklayers is starting to pay dividends.
The partnership with the state’s building and construction industry provides training at North Metropolitan TAFE’s Clarkson campus, and participants in the Bricklaying Job Ready program are now being offered apprenticeships with Perth-based construction, property and finance company ABN Group.
Training Minister Simone McGurk said the course is helping to meet the strong demand for bricklayers in the local building and construction sector.
“Job Ready programs are fast, free entry-level courses that enable students to overcome cost barriers to training, allowing them to gain the skills they need to enter the workforce,” she said.
The Bricklaying Job Ready program was developed as part of the State Government’s Fee Free training initiative and operates with local industries to deliver training in conjunction with support for job seekers and young people.
Ms McGurk said that, of the more than 2530 participants who have commenced Job Ready programs, more than 1100 have secured employment in the industry or gone on to further training, and more than 440 were in the Bricklaying Job Ready program.
Participants complete the Work Safety in Construction short course skill set at TAFE, which teaches work safety practices, how to use a range of construction equipment and tools such as levelling devices, and basic bricklaying for new and existing structures, including residential homes, units and apartments.
On completion of the course, participants are connected with opportunities to transition into employment, undertake an apprenticeship with a participating employer or further their training.
“The program includes additional wraparound support and on-the-job training, which has led to some fantastic outcomes for participants and employers – particularly in areas like bricklaying where we know there is a strong demand for workers,” Ms McGurk said.
“Developing our building and construction workforce is an absolute priority for this Government – so we can get boots on the ground and people into their homes faster,” she added.
“It has been great to hear first-hand from participants about their experiences, especially how fee-free courses have supported them to overcome barriers to training, and to land jobs.”
Housing Minister John Carey said the government was focused on boosting housing supply across the state. “To build more houses, we have introduced a range of measures to bolster our skilled labour force to get them delivered.
“The free Bricklaying Job Ready program is a fantastic example of how this Government is reducing barriers to training to get more skilled workers onto construction sites,” he said. “We’ll continue to use every lever we can to get more homes built to ease pressure on the housing market.”
