For more than 130 years, TAFE NSW has been providing pathways for people of all 'ages and stages' to find their first job, a new job or a better job. In that time, it's grown to be the leading vocational education and training provider in Australia, and among the largest in the world. It also enjoys a strong reputation amongst business and industry.

I was surprised to learn recently that TAFE NSW now has more than half a million enrolments each year across 130 locations - and, as I witnessed first-hand on a recent visit to the Gymea TAFE campus, enrolling in a TAFE course provides access to modern facilities and world-class teachers.

The NSW Government has invested $800,000 to build a new facility at Gymea TAFE for carpentry apprentices which features a new classroom, four training pods which simulate a worksite, new tools and equipment, storage areas, racking for materials, and specialised dust extraction to manage fine particles safely. With more than 650 carpentry apprentices across 41 trade classes at Gymea, this new facility is already being put to good use.

A carpentry apprenticeship is just one of 120 apprenticeship courses available through TAFE NSW. A TAFE apprenticeship is a proven pathway to well-paid jobs in a diverse range of careers including construction, hairdressing, aviation and automotive. They usually take around three to four years to complete and provide a salary while you're learning.

Here in NSW, apprenticeships are also fee free, which means no upfront training costs for students or employers. The NSW Government is paying the course cost for 100,000 new apprenticeships so apprentices undertaking a government funded apprenticeship no longer face a student fee of up to $2000.

The NSW Government has invested a record $2.8 billion recurrent funding in skills and training in the 2022-23 Budget, including $2 billion for TAFE NSW. On top of this, TAFE NSW will receive $318.9 million in capital funding to upgrade teaching equipment, facilities and digital infrastructure across the state (like the new facility at Gymea TAFE), taking the total capital spend on TAFE NSW to $792.2 million since 2020-21.

It's all part of a record commitment to our State's continued economic success, that will help people get skilled and find in-demand jobs, grow the economy and deliver a brighter future for families.

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