Over its initial three-year life, the Laverton Training Centre will prepare 32-48 trainees to enter the workforce through completion of the Certificate II in Rural Operations course, for positions in civil roadworks through to mine site operators.
Trainees will also be prepared for future employment in the Aboriginal ranger program.
Estimates put the regional economic impact of the centre at $40 million per annum through demand for goods and services, wages and salaries and value-added services such as freight and transport and housing rental.
Australian Potash managing director and CEO Matt Shackleton said given the multi-generational Lake Wells sulphate of potash project would be operating in the Shire of Laverton for at least 30 years, it was appropriate to foster the economic capacity of remote Aboriginal and other communities over that time.
"We are fortunate to enjoy support for the Laverton Training Centre from local industry, including several of the region's major mine operators, the Shires of Ngaanyatjarraku, Laverton and Leonora, the Department of Training and Workforce Development, the Goldfields-Esperance Development Commission and most importantly, regional Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people," Shackleton said.
"It is these people we are in turn looking to support by providing a not-for-profit, fully accredited training program directed at improving their economic capacity."
Australian Potash hopes to have the centre designated a charity by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission and lean on industry to fund annual capital and operating expenditure to become self-sufficient within the first year of operations.
Initial trainee intake is scheduled for 2022.
Shackleton said based on the teaching ethos and successful outcomes achieved over four years of pilot operations at Wiluna, Laverton's training centre was looking to generate the same successes across a much broader section of the community by being more centrally located in Laverton.
"With the financial and training support of Central Regional TAFE in Kalgoorlie and DTWD, and with us exercising our network across industry in the region, it is envisaged that the LTC will, in time, become a prominent example of a successful industry-government endeavour," he said.