32 TAFEs share infrastructure funds

The federal government last week released more details on how it will roll out its VET infrastructure funds, with 32 TAFE institutes to share $200 million under the Training Infrastructure Investment for Tomorrow (TIIFT) program. The TIIFT – a subset of the $500 million Teaching and Learning Capital Fund for VET (TLCF) announced last December – will focus on providing the infrastructure needed for training in green skills and industries affected by climate change. TIIFT funds will also focus on helping regions hit by the recession, with training infrastructure to help develop new skills in local industries like community services, construction, manufacturing and agriculture. The money will be used both to build new facilities and to refurbish and extend existing ones. The successful projects were recommended by an independent assessment panel. They include a $6.6 million Centre for Inland Engineering at Riverina TAFE’s Wagga Wagga campus, a $10 million Flexible Green Trades Complex for Swinburne University’s TAFE division at Croydon, and a $6 million upgrade of Swan TAFE’s automotive workshops to equip them for training in sustainable areas such as hybrid vehicles and electric cars. The TIIFT grants will be complemented by $80 million in contributions from the successful TAFEs. Submissions have now closed on all three elements of the TLCF – the TIIFT, the $200 million Better TAFE Facilities program and the $100 million Investing in Community Education and Training program. Go to www.deewr.gov.au/Skills/TLCF