The $3.1 million Mining Industry Skills Centre at the Muswellbrook TAFE was officially opened on Monday morning and has been purpose made to fit the needs of those working in the area.

The centre was able to be built as a result of a $2.3 million grant from the federal government and $800,000 from the state government.

The increasing demand for skilled workers has been a point of focus for both levels of government and on Monday Federal Member for Hunter Joel Fitzgibbon and NSW parliamentary secretary Mick Veitch were present to open the new facility.

Mr Fitzgibbon said that the opening of the mining skills centre and similar ones for other industries was a reflection of a new trend in society.

“We’re living in an era where unemployment is no longer the biggest issue, it is now getting enough skilled workers into the industry,” he said.

“While this is a Muswellbrook facility it’s very much a regional facility as well.”

The new centre was built in close consultation with the mining industry with focus on training in the engineering and automotive trades.

Mr Veitch explained that the project was part of a continued effort to provide the skills needed in the local work force.

“The project is a multi-staged approach comprised of three stages: Electrotechnology; Automotive; and Metal Fabrication/Fitting and Machining.

“Today we are opening the Electrotechnology training centre, which provides a highly visible and extremely professional facility for training in a wide range of electrical skills essential to the mining and power generation industries.”

While jobs in the mining industry can be very hands on Hunter TAFE director Phil Cox said there were some parts that needed to be learnt off site and the new facility would be the perfect place to compete such training.

“We try now days to deliver on the job training as much as possible but sometimes it just can’t happen and we need facilities such as this to simulate the work that will be done,” he said.

Mr Cox said that the facility is now ready for use.

There will be a small number of short courses in the centre before it is in full use next year.