Billions in funding for TAFE Skills and Training

I am very pleased to report that NSW and our region will benefit from a $2.6 billion recurrent investment to futureproof the workforce and boost skills training as part of the 2021-22 NSW Budget which was handed down by the NSW Treasurer earlier this week.

Initiatives to upskill workers and improve employment outcomes, including fee-free training, better pathways from high schools to the workforce, piloting a new model for skills training and investing in a dedicated careers service will form a key focus of this year’s budget.

NSW has led the nation in the take-up of free training during the pandemic, and more than 70,000 students have accessed free training under the NSW Government’s Skilling for Recovery program, delivered alongside the Commonwealth’s JobTrainer package.

Now as the NSW economic recovery gathers pace, we are investing in new and innovative training to ensure we are ready for the jobs of the future.

This Budget contains an initial $24.6 million to begin implementing reforms recommended in the Gonski Shergold Review of the NSW VET sector.

The NSW Government is investing in the future of skills training with an initial $13.2 million commitment to developing Institutes of Applied Technology, an integrated education model where TAFE, university and industry work together to prepare students for the jobs of the future.

We are continuing to ensure our world class training providers are skilling the State’s workforce to bolster the economic recovery through a multi-billion-dollar investment in TAFE NSW and our high-quality private training market.

TAFE NSW will continue to play a vital role in our training system thanks to a $2 billion investment to secure its future as our State’s comprehensive public provider of high-quality and accessible training.

This Budget means the NSW Government can continue to deliver a highly skilled and adaptable workforce that contributes to our prosperity and productivity.

Budget highlights include:

• Continued investment of $318.6 million over two years for training under the NSW Skilling for Recovery JobTrainer program;
• $19 million for information and communication technology and other assets at TAFE campuses across the State;
• $11.4 million to pilot Careers NSW, a dedicated careers support service;
• $5.2 million for an Educational Pathways Pilot Program to improve education and career outcomes for high school students.