A hands-on training academy where people can learn to operate excavators, bulldozers and other heavy machinery is coming to Quercus Park in northern Tasmania.
The $4.3 million earthworks academy will give aspiring operators realistic real-world experience “digging real dirt and fixing real roads”.
“That means that we have a workforce that will be more job ready when they go back into their workplaces,” Skills and Training Minister Felix Ellis said.
“They’ll have had the skills and safety understanding from working on real machines.”
He said for people looking to break into construction or switch careers, the academy offers a direct path into an industry facing significant worker shortages.
Industry experts predict Tasmania needs 667 new machinery operators each year to keep up with major projects.
“With a $27 billion infrastructure pipeline ready to roll out in Tasmania and the need to build at least 10,000 social and affordable homes for Tasmania by 2032, this is a critical part of delivering on those big commitments,” Ellis said.
The academy will also be open to farmers, foresters, miners and quarry operators looking to expand their skills with heavy machinery.
The training will happen on-site at Quercus Park, where work will help improve the grounds used for popular events like Agfest, Party In The Paddock and the Launceston Show.
“There is always something to dig, there is always something to fix,” Karen Robinson from land-owner Rural Youth said.
“Basically it’s a dream land for someone with an excavator.”
