News

Adelaide Training and Employment Centre’s (ATEC) new Centre of Excellence at Lonsdale, which was officially opened on 10 June, means ATEC can double its carpentry apprentice intake to more than 1,600.

ATEC is the largest private training provider of construction and manufacturing apprentices in South Australia, currently training over 1,500 apprentices—including more than 800 in carpentry.

ATEC CEO Greg Bassani OAM said the Centre will allow the organisation to expand its impact without compromising on its commitment to training excellence.

“The Centre is a bold step forward in our mission to deliver high-quality, industry-aligned training,” he said.

“It’s about delivering excellence, not just output.”

Key features of the new $1 million facility include:

• a new 750 square metre, all-weather training space, bringing the total training area to over 1,500 square metres —the largest indoor/outdoor carpentry training facility of its kind in SA
• realistic worksite conditions designed in consultation with industry partners
• additional and substantially upgraded simulated outdoor training area
• a comprehensive array of state-of-the-art power tools, ensuring a modern, safe and efficient training experience.

The South Australian Government invested $300,000 towards the Carpentry Centre of Excellence through the $9 million Equipment and Capital Grants program.

The state’s total construction work – including houses, apartments and non-residential building work – was up by almost 7 per cent in the March quarter and far surpassing the national average of 3.5 per cent.