TasTAFE and Master Plumbers Association of Tasmania announce partnership and launch Industry Expert Program

TasTAFE and the Master Plumbers Association of Tasmania (MPAT) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), agreeing to collaborate closely over the coming years – a partnership which includes the launch of an Industry Expert Program.

The purpose of the MoU is to support a cooperative, informed and coordinated approach to training delivery and workforce development, right across Tasmania’s rapidly evolving plumbing sector.

This approach aligns with TasTAFE’s refreshed Strategic Plan, Imagine 2025–2035, one pillar of which is ‘Active Engagement’ – engaging with industry to develop course content and delivery that meets workforce needs.

TasTAFE Senior Manager Industry Engagement, Matt Dance (pictured left) said the signing of the MoU was a positive move.

“It’s about making sure that the training delivered by TasTAFE is industry-aligned, contemporary and fit-for-purpose,” Matt said. “A big part of that is working with the peak industry association to ensure that this is enabled.”

The MoU coincides with the appointment of MPAT's Natalie Kingston (pictured right) as Industry Engagement Officer (IEO), consolidating her remit in supporting TasTAFE’s plumbing program.

Natalie said that the MoU will deliver advantages for both TasTAFE learners and the plumbing industry.

“I think it gives industry a voice – so that the two organisations can work together if there are misalignments around the training package,” Natalie said. “If industry has an issue, this is one way that they can be part of the solution.

“Being closer with industry also ensures that we strengthen the quality of TasTAFE learning by staying up to date with some of the newer innovations.”

With this consolidated connection between industry and TasTAFE, the future for Tasmanian plumbing learners is looking bright.

“This is a nation-leading approach, where we have the peak industry association for plumbing integrated into TAFE learning,” Matt Dance said. “And it’s certainly a model that could inform how we approach other industry areas, moving forward. We’re having those conversations.”

One of the first initiatives to be rolled out under the MoU is TasTAFE’s new Industry Expert Program – bringing volunteer plumbing experts into TasTAFE to engage with learners through talks, Q&A panel discussions, demonstrations, site visits, workshops, mentorship opportunities and co-delivery.

Mapped into a structured schedule, these expert sessions will create meaningful engagement between the plumbing industry and our learners, supporting workforce readiness.

“The Program will involve bringing subject-matter experts from across the Tasmanian plumbing sector into the TasTAFE learning environment, where they can share their knowledge, expertise and career pathways with our learners – whether it be Certificate II learners, apprentices, or even in the post-trade space – enhancing the TasTAFE learner experience in a way that’s valuable for all parties,” Matt Dance said.

For current TasTAFE teachers, a flow-on effect of the Program will be exposure to contemporary industry practices that they may not be exposed to otherwise.

The Program will also serve as a ‘taster’ of life as a TasTAFE teacher, providing a pathway through Training and Assessment (TAE) qualifications for industry professionals to explore teaching opportunities in the VET space.

Are you passionate about the Tasmanian plumbing industry and keen to share your expertise with TasTAFE learners? Expressions of Interest for the Industry Expert Program are now open.