TAFE NSW has introduced a new plumbing course to introduce high school students to the plumbing trade, to address the growing skills shortage in the Eurobodalla region.

Commencing next month, students from Batemans Bay, Moruya and Narooma high schools will be invited to take part in the ‘Start your Future’ program.

The initiative gets students into a local TAFE NSW campus for one day per week over eight weeks, offering them a range of practical skills and knowledge in an industry they are considering for future work.

The course marks the first-time plumbing has been offered as a “taster” program for students on the South Coast.

O’Brien Plumbing South Coast manager Owen Davies says that he welcomes the initiative and sees its potential to invite and attract young people to the plumbing industry.

“This will make a huge difference as it will give students the opportunity to see if they like the trade,” he says.

“The course will make it easier to get apprentices and make that transition from high school smoother and more streamlined.”

Owen says that the skills shortage in the South Coast is evident.

“Previously, we would get five or six applicants to jobs ads, now we’re lucky to get any.”

With new housing estates and infrastructure projects such as the Moruya Hospital, the demand for plumbers is beginning to rise. According to website EconomyID, the construction industry had the largest number of total registered businesses in Eurobodalla Shire, comprising of 28.1% of all total businesses, compared to 17.1% in NSW.

Eurobodalla Shire mayor Mat Hatcher says that the course will help the local plumbing industry cultivate more homegrown talent and help it meet a looming construction boom.

“It’s a great step, and one that will benefit not just our shire, but surrounding shires too,” he says.

“We have a masterplan to reimagine the CBD and surrounds in Batemans Bay and we are going to need more and more tradies to complete the work.”

TAFE NSW plumbing teacher Ethan Fisher, who will run the course, says the course will have a profound impact.

“We know that if young people have already had a taste of a trace in high school, they’re more likely to pursue it as a career when they leave school,” he says.

“Plumbing is such a diverse and rewarding career path, and TAFE NSW graduates are in demand all over Australia and the world.”

The course will cover key industry aspects and components, including hot and cold water services, fire services and drainage, giving students a strong foundation in the trade.