NSW BUDGET TO ACCELERATE FEE-FREE TRAINING

An additional 70,000 people will receive fee-free training as part of a plan by the NSW Government to turbocharge the State’s skills-led recovery and help more people get the skills they need for the jobs they want.

Member for Willoughby Tim James said the 2022-23 NSW Budget would invest $82.7 million over four years to help people unlock opportunities for jobs.

“This is a great opportunity for people looking for their first job, a new job or a better job, to get skilled and work in rewarding careers,” Tim James said.

“It will remove financial barriers for people wanting to undertake vocational education and training and turbocharge the take-up of skills to help grow the economy.”

“Supporting fee-free training placements creates a stronger pipeline of skilled workers for jobs in industries experiencing high demand for workers,” Mr James said.

“The NSW Government’s strong economic management means we can deliver fee-free training which is helping people boost their budget and ensure a brighter future for them and their family,” Mr James said.

This new investment in fee-free training is on top of 100,000 fee-free apprenticeships and 70,000 fee-free traineeships already being delivered by the NSW Government.

This NSW Government’s strong focus on skills led to a 77 per cent increase in the number of people commencing apprenticeships and traineeships in the 12 months to September 2021, according the most recent NCVER report. There was a 91 per cent increase in the number of women commencing apprenticeships and traineeships during the same period.

Minister for Skills and Training Alister Henskens said the NSW Government is leading the nation in supporting people to get skilled for jobs to help grow the economy.

“As part of our skills-led recovery, we have seen an enormous surge in the number of people commencing apprenticeships and traineeships in NSW and this Budget will turbocharge the take-up of training right across the state,” Mr Henskens said.

For more details on training available, visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/skills-nsw.