CQUniversity welcomes LNP $49.8M commitment to fund TAFE Centre of Excellence

The LNP commitment follows Palaszczuk government's pledge to fund the $8.4m first stage of the TAFE Centre of Excellence, and commitments from minor parties should they hold the balance of power.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said the $49.8 million investment would create a new one-stop-shop for post-school education and training in Central Queensland.

"This will truly be a blue-collar university to get Central Queensland working again," Ms Frecklington said.

"The LNP's training facility will allow for an additional 1100 apprentices and vocational students each year by 2025, growing to 2500 by 2030.

"It will form part of a world-class smart precinct in North Rockhampton consisting of a manufacturing hub and new Central Queensland School of Mining and Manufacturing.

"Queensland has the highest unemployment rate in the nation under Labor and 209,000 Queenslanders are out of work.

"Infrastructure projects like the TAFE Centre of Excellence are key parts of the LNP's economic plan to create jobs and lead Queensland out of recession."

LNP Keppel candidate Adrian de Groot said Labor had short-changed local manufacturing and resources jobs for five years.

"Labor's paltry $8.4m commitment won't get the job done," Mr de Groot said.

"The LNP building the TAFE Centre of Excellence will create 350 local construction jobs and secure an additional 300 local long-term jobs with the expanded operations.

The LNP pledge would cover the full cost of the project's entirety, if the LNP is elected at this month's state ballot.

CQUniversity Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Nick Klomp welcomed Ms Frecklington's commitment, describing it as a "game changer" for skills-based training in the Rockhampton region.

"As the public provider of TAFE in Central Queensland, CQUniversity takes very seriously its obligation to provide world-class facilities and training to the region's apprentices, trainees and VET students," Professor Klomp said.

"Today's commitment from the LNP provides reassurance to the region, our students, and their employers, that we now have a commitment from both major parties to build this much-needed facility.

"I thank Deb Frecklington and the LNP for recognising CQUniversity's vision for the future of TAFE in Central Queensland, and for rising to the occasion via this funding commitment."

Once complete, the 26,000sqm TAFE Centre of Excellence will replace the existing Canning Street TAFE and will be co-located on CQUniversity's Rockhampton North campus, with the full construction project expected to be completed within three years.