New $1M Carpentry Training Centre in Adelaide’s South

Adelaide, South Australia – The Adelaide Training and Employment Centre (ATEC) has officially opened its new $1 million Carpentry Centre of Excellence. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to increase ATEC’s carpentry apprentice training capacity and help address the State’s critical shortage of skilled tradespeople in the construction industry.

The facility was officially opened by the Honourable Blair Boyer, Minister for Education, Skills and Training, and South Australia’s Skills Commissioner, Cameron Baker, at a ceremony attended by around 70 industry leaders, employers, government representatives and training stakeholders.

ATEC is proud to be the largest private training provider of construction and manufacturing apprentices in South Australia, currently training over 1,500 apprentices across these sectors—including more than 900 in carpentry. The new Centre of Excellence will enable ATEC to double its carpentry apprentice intake to over 1,800, making a significantly more substantial contribution to the workforce pipeline.

“This Centre is a bold step forward in our mission to deliver high-quality, industry-aligned training,” said ATEC CEO Greg Bassani, OAM. “It allows us to expand our impact without ever compromising on our commitment to training excellence.” “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 Centre was jointly funded by ATEC and the South Australian Government, reflecting a strong public-private commitment to future-proofing the State’s trades workforce in the construction industry.

The launch follows the ATEC Training Awards held in March 2025, which celebrated the achievements of high-performing apprentices and dedicated industry partners—further showcasing ATEC’s leadership in vocational education and training.

“Our training awards remind us of what’s possible when apprentices are supported and challenged to grow,” said Mr Bassani. “This new facility will only enhance that, giving apprentices the space and resources to thrive from day one.”

To support industry engagement, ATEC is currently offering three weeks of free apprentice hire for new carpentry host employers, encouraging more businesses to take on apprentices and help shape South Australia’s future trades workforce.

“Employers play a vital role in shaping apprentices into confident, capable tradespeople,” Mr Bassani added. “This incentive is just one more way we’re making it easier to invest in skills development.”

With apprentices soon to start training in the new facility, the Carpentry Centre of Excellence is set to make a long-term impact on careers, businesses, and the economy.

“At ATEC, we don’t just train for the job—we train for excellence,” said Mr Bassani.
“This Carpentry Centre of Excellence is a proud example of that vision in action.”

Media quotes:

Greg Bassani OAM, CEO

Email: Gregb@atec.asn.au

Mobile: 0423 780 794

 Learn more:

• ATEC Training Awards (March 2025): https://atec.asn.au/news/atec-training-awards-2024-2

• Host Employer Offer: https://atec.asn.au/host-employers/current-host-employer-information

   

For media inquiries, please contact:

Jayne Osborne, ATEC Marketing and Communication Specialist

Email: jayneo@atec.asn.au Mobile: 0417 725 995