Tonsley Tafe already a training hub for hundreds of South Australians

TAFE students are already benefiting from the $120 million Tonsley TAFE despite it still being under construction and not due to open until January 2014.

Eighteen students undertaking a Diploma of Building Design and Construction are among hundreds already using the project as training hub to get practical experience in building design and learn about environmentally sustainable building practices and materials.

They include apprentices, trainees and cadets who’ve spent a combined total of 37,241 hours onsite working on the construction of Tonsley TAFE. This represents 11.4% of the workforce hours spent on the project to date.

The TAFE SA Building Design and Construction students,led by TAFE SA lecturers Robert Colliver and Jason Atkinson, have each designed and developed plans to submission level for new three storey retail or office buildings for the Tonsley site.

TAFE SA then partnered with the City of Marion to allow the students to present their building designs to the Council’s Planning Officers and have them critiqued in accordance with the Tonsleymasterplan.

The students have also been visiting the site to learn about environmentally sustainable development and the building materials and methods being used for the construction of
Tonsley TAFE.

Tonsley TAFE Director Peter Nolan said the Tonsley TAFE development provided an outstanding learning opportunity for students because of the building’s energy efficient design and the construction techniques being used.

“Students have learnt about how to design a building within a project masterplan, building materials structural and environmental benefits, reuse of an existing building structure and the planning process,” said Mr Nolan.

“The project has also given the students a real sense of what to expect next year and the benefits the new TAFE will bring to students undertaking courses.

“They include the actual building design, where all services will be on display to act as a constant reminder of the design and construction requirements of a functioning building. Students will also be able to monitor the environmental performance of the building with counters monitoring water and energy use on public display.”

On completion, Tonsley TAFE will provide nearly 45,000m2 of world-class, energy efficient, trade training infrastructure for the $4.5 billion South Australian building and construction industry.

It will house training for more than 6,500 students a year with an average of 800 attending every day in a hub that for the first time brings together all the building trades under one roof so they’re able to learn and work together as they’ll be required to do in the industry.

Courses will be offered for traditional trades including electrical, refrigeration and air-conditioning, plumbing, carpentry and joinery, furnishing and building, interior design and drafting, painting and decorating, bricklaying, plastering and tiling, as well as new a courses in renewable energy and water operations.
Existing TAFE SA building and construction course numbers will be increased by 16 per cent to accommodate new students and courses.

Tonsley TAFE will also help to foster stronger links between TAFE and universities and industry including advanced manufacturing companies with joint research projects and tailored educational programs to be undertaken.

The $120 million Tonsley TAFE is located within the Sustainable Industries Education Centre at Tonsley Park on the site of the former Mitsubishi factory.

ISSUED BY HUGHES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Please contact Simon Hatcher on (08) 8412 4100 or 0419 780 071