Regional TAFE in the Northern Territory has received a boost with a $3.5 million Technical Trades Training Centre to be established in Katherine.

The Australian Government will invest $2.5 million under its TAFE Technology Fund and Charles Darwin University will invest $1 million to improve training facilities in the Big Rivers region.

The centre will provide training in current and emerging skills priorities in the region including building and construction, engineering, electrotechnology, plumbing and automotive.

New facilities will include welding bays, drill presses and bench vices. Equipment will be designed to be mobile or disassembled for easy storage.

A Technical Trades Training Centre in Katherine will expand capacity for the delivery of vocational education and training in the region and create potential pathways for young people living in the Big Rivers area.

This investment builds on opportunities created through the Australian and Northern Territory Government Fee-Free TAFE initiative.

To date, 1,830 Territorians have undertaken fee-free training.

The joint initiative is designed to support key sectors experiencing critical skill shortages build the workforce they need both now and into the future.