Ian Goodenough (Moore, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I formally recognise the important contribution made to our local economy by the vocational education and training sector within the Joondalup Learning Precinct and advocate for continued strong federal government support. Led by visionary managing director Michelle Hoad, the West Coast Institute is a leading organisation in Moore which delivers education and training to more than 8,800 students, based at four locations, providing the necessary skills training to boost employability and increase workforce productivity. Supported by a staff of more than 350 experienced academic and industry specialists, West Coast Institute delivers more than 120 internationally recognised vocational education and training programs, ranging from short skill-set courses through to nationally accredited programs ranging from certificates to associate degrees and also apprenticeships and traineeships.

West Coast Institute has established academies of excellence in a number of key specialty areas. The Academy of Health Sciences is a leading provider of specialised training in health science. It provides the necessary training to meet critical skill shortages across the broader health sector. The Trades North campus provides training programs in bricklaying, plastering, tiling, carpentry, joinery, engineering and electrical trades to more than 600 students, apprentices and existing tradespeople. The facilities include dedicated training workshops and open spaces integrating each trade into a real-world environment, ensuring students are exposed to different disciplines and learn to work collaboratively on projects.

The Academy of Hospitality and Culinary Arts offers a range of live training environments and partners with industry to make hospitality training as realistic as possible to prepare students for employment in the culinary and front-of-house service industries. The Academy of Digital Technologies has a reputation in excellence for delivering high-quality training and producing award winning graduates in a range of IT industries and digital media disciplines including animation, 3D modelling, the new field of augmented reality and computer generated imagery.

The institute has two other training directorates offering world-class programs in key disciplines. The Commerce and Technology Directorate has 11 key industry training areas. The Directorate of Health, Education and Social Sciences has moved to an enterprise-based delivery model to support the up-skilling of existing workers through traineeships, flexible delivery and skills recognition.