WesTrac Technology Training Centre welcomes international students for the first time

The first international students have begun attending the WesTrac Technology Training Centre in Collie. Employees from a Caterpillar dealer in Canada will undertake eight days of training at the facility in Collie before completing another four days of training at the WesTrac headquarters in Perth. The four students will undergo Command for Haul Service training, which is designed for technicians who service, maintain and calibrate the technology layer on Caterpillar autonomous haulage trucks. The arrival of these trainees is the first time international students have taken up training at the centre, the first and biggest of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. The students will join the ranks of more than 500 others who have studied and learnt skills at the centre since it officially opened in November 2020. WesTrac chief executive officer Jarvas Croome welcomed the employees from Toromont Cat in Eastern Canada, saying their arrival marked a major milestone for the centre and Western Australia. “This group of international students is the first to arrive at the WesTrac Technology Training Centre, and they won’t be the last, with more companies from around the globe lined up to send staff here for automation training,” Mr Croome said. “As the first centre of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, delivering training courses to autonomous equipment technicians, we anticipate interest from around the world will only continue to grow. “The arrival of these students is a major milestone for the WesTrac Technology Training Centre in Collie and broader Western Australia, with our facility putting an international spotlight on world-leading training opportunities available in this State.” Last year, WesTrac welcomed a further $1 million investment from the State Government to build additional training facilities at the centre and expand the range of courses offered.