A $7.5 million-dollar specialist training facility for heavy automotive trades will be built at CQUniversity’s Mackay campus – with students expected through the doors by term two of 2024.
The 1610 square metre site will include a workshop space, teaching areas, staff spaces and specialist equipment including an air brake simulator, hydraulic training stations, transmission training simulators, diesel engine benches and an air suspension training stand for trucks.
The facility will also enable the university to almost triple its student capacity in the trade discipline from 140 to over 400 students.
“The new facility will contribute to the regional economy and allow the public training provider, CQU, to continue changing lives and supporting communities and industry through skills-based training,” said Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer.
“By boosting training capacity, the redeveloped trade training centre will supply a pipeline of qualified heavy automotive professionals, crucial to keeping the region’s industries running.”
CQUniversity will deliver heavy automotive trade courses including Certificate III in Engineering – Mechanical Trade (Diesel Fitting), Certificate III in Mobile Plant Technology and Certificate III in Heavy Commercial Vehicle Mechanical Technology, in full within the Mackay region.
“Once the upgrade is completed, final year apprentices will no longer have to travel for up to four hours to Rockhampton or Emerald to complete required training blocks, saving them time and money,” added Member for Mackay Julieanne Gilbert.
“It will provide heavy automotive trade apprentices with a purpose-built training space, plus more than $2.4 million worth of the latest industry-related tools, resources and technology and help cater for an average year-on-year student growth of 15 per cent in the heavy automotive discipline over the past five years in the Mackay region.”