The federal and Western Australian governments have announced a joint investment of $70.5 million to establish Australia's first TAFE Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence in Western Australia. The center, operating across the WA TAFE network, will focus on providing training in various clean energy technologies, including solar, wind, hydrogen, batteries, and grid integration. The aim is to become a skills leader in clean energy science, engineering, construction, and operation to support the net zero transformation. WA Premier Roger Cook expressed optimism about the center's potential to skill thousands of Western Australians for quality clean energy jobs, aligning with the state's ambitions for clean energy. The center intends to expand access to clean energy skills training in both metropolitan and regional TAFE campuses, such as Kalgoorlie, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Karratha, and Broome. By leveraging existing collaborations between TAFEs and universities, the center plans to design industry-relevant training programs, facilitate applied research, and develop higher apprenticeship pathways. The goal is to increase the number of apprentices to help Western Australia and Australia achieve net zero emissions by 2050. ITECA Chief Executive, Troy Williams, sees the initiative as a crucial step in advancing the nation's clean energy skills training, emphasizing practical skills and industry collaboration. The center also aims to partner with industry to enhance the participation of underrepresented groups, including women and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. The funding for the initiative includes $32.75 million from the Albanese government, which will be matched by the Western Australian government, with an additional $5.04 million.