Feb 20, 2025

NSW Public Sector ITAB February 2025 Newsletter

In this month's newsletter

Register now for March online GTAN & WTAN Forums
NSW Fee Free arrangements – January to June 2025
NSW Skills List Updated – Version 15.2
Regional Water Workforce Composition survey report released
Enhancing flood rescue readiness with large-scale training exercise
NSW Training Awards
More practice guides available on the revised Standards for RTOs
Regional Australia's Job Market: Contrasting Trends in Employment Growth
National Jobs and Skills Council Update

Register now for March online GTAN & WTAN Forums

Convened by the NSW Public Sector ITAB, these online forums offer the Government and Public Safety Skills and Training Network (GTAN) and Water Industry Skills and Training Network (WTAN) an opportunity to exchange insights and information related to workforce development within the government, public safety, corrections, and water sectors across NSW.

Our next online network forums are scheduled for Tuesday 4 March and Wednesday 5 March 2025, both starting at 10am. They feature guest speakers from a range of organisations who share insights into emerging trends and best practice for skills and workforce development. Updates on workforce development and Training Package projects will be provided by the relevant national Jobs and Skills Councils (Public Skills Australia or BuildSkills Australia) and the NSW Office of Local Government (OLG) will share new information on the ‘Fresh Start Program for Apprentices/Trainees/Graduates in Local Government’.

The full Program is available upon registration.

Government and Public Safety Skills and Training Network (GTAN) Forum

(Includes all government agencies, Local Councils, Correctional Services, Public Safety, Police & Defence)

Date: Tuesday 4 March 2025
Time: 10:00am - 11:30am (AEDT)

Water Industry Skills and Training Network (WTAN) Forum

Date: Wednesday 5 March 2025
Time: 10:00am - 11:30pm (AEDT)

NSW Fee Free arrangements – January to June 2025

NSW Fee Free enrolments for the period 1 January 2025 until 30 June 2025 have been open as of 4 December 2024.

For the next two years, NSW Fee Free will consist of Tranche 2 (which is a continuation of the arrangements in place in 2024) and the new NSW Fee Free Construction Tranche.

Details of the arrangements for commencements from 1 January 2025 to 30 June 2025 for both tranches can be accessed on the Department of Education website. The arrangements for July 2025 to 31 December 2025 will be announced in the first quarter of 2025.

Smart and Skilled Fee Free arrangements for January to June 2025 remain unchanged for all other training cohorts.

For more information on Fee free training in NSW visit the Department of Education website.

NSW Skills List Updated – Version 15.2

The NSW Skills List has been updated. This update covers changes because of:

updates to Training Packages
ASQA extensions to qualification transition periods
updates to Vocational Training Orders (VTOs)
updated tags for NSW Fee Free qualifications.

Version 15.2 of the NSW Skills List is now available here.

These changes are also reflected in version 15.2 of the Smart and Skilled Prices and Fees schedule, available here.

Regional Water Workforce Composition survey report released

Local water utilities (LWUs) in NSW frequently struggle to recruit and retain skilled staff necessary for delivering vital water and wastewater services to their communities.

NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has released the results of a workforce composition survey of local water utilities in NSW. The survey, which was run in 2024, was the first of its kind in NSW and attracted a response rate of almost 60%. The department thanks all local water utilities that provided information on workforce and training, which will help build a picture of the state's water industry and support future resourcing.

The full survey results and a snapshot are available here.

Enhancing flood rescue readiness with large-scale training exercise

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) recently led a statewide flood rescue training exercise, "Who Let the Boats Out," involving over 800 emergency personnel and nine agencies. This initiative, covering more than 80 waterways, aimed to enhance collaboration and operational effectiveness in flood response scenarios.

For the first time, the SES trialled drones in the exercise to support flood rescues, provide real-time reconnaissance, and assist with rapid damage assessments. These aerial units streamed live data from key locations, including Darling Harbour, Lismore, and Broken Hill, back to a central incident control centre.

Participants which included NSW SES, NSW Police, Surf Life Saving NSW, Marine Rescue, Fire and Rescue NSW, and Ambulance NSW, engaged in critical skills training such as vessel navigation, search and rescue, and emergency response coordination. The exercise strengthened inter-agency cooperation and ensured personnel are well-prepared for real-world flood emergencies.

Minister for Emergency Services, Jihad Dib, emphasized the importance of joint training efforts in improving on-water rescue expertise and emergency preparedness. SES Deputy Commissioner Daniel Austin highlighted the potential of drones to enhance flood rescue efficiency while reducing risk to responders.

By integrating new technology and refining operational coordination, NSW SES continues to advance its flood response capabilities, ensuring better protection for communities across the state.

Read the full article here.

NSW Training Awards

The NSW Training Awards are conducted annually by Training Services within the NSW Department of Education to recognise outstanding achievement in the vocational education and training sector. 2025 is the 70th year for the Awards.

Entries are now open for the 2025 NSW Training Awards. Students, teachers, training organisations and employers are encouraged to nominate and register.

The Awards categories include the following:

Individual Award:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Student of the Year
Apprentice of the Year
School-based Apprentice/Trainee of the Year
Trainee of the Year
VET Trainer/Teacher of the Year
Vocational Student of the Year
VET in Schools Student of the Year

Organisation Awards

Large Training Provider of the Year
Small Training Provider of the Year
Industry Collaboration Award
Large Employer of the Year
Small Employer of the Year

For more information and testimonials, visit their website.

More practice guides available on the revised Standards for RTOs

ASQA has released more practice guides to support training providers in the transition to the revised Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) that come into effect from 1 July 2025.

The following practice guides have now been published:

Training and assessment – Facilities, resources, and equipment
VET student support – Feedback, complaints and appeals
VET student support – Information
VET student support – Training support.

The practice guides are published as drafts to provide the opportunity for feedback.

See the Practice Guides and also the survey page for feedback.

Regional Australia's Job Market: Contrasting Trends in Employment Growth

New findings from the December 2024 Regional Labour Market Index (RLMI) reveal a mixed picture for regional Australia’s job market. While some areas continue to struggle compared to major cities, others are experiencing strong growth, demonstrating the varied economic landscape across the country.

One notable success story is the Southern Murray-Darling Basin, home to key agricultural regions like Riverina and Shepparton. Over the past year, these areas have seen significant employment improvements, moving from ‘below average’ and ‘average’ ratings in December 2023 to ‘above average’ by December 2024.

Employment in the region’s working-age population increased from 76.4% to 80.1%, outpacing the national average of 76.7%. This growth is largely attributed to the agriculture, food services, and transport sectors, reinforcing findings from the An Essential Ingredient: The Food Supply Chain Workforce report, which highlights the rising demand for skilled workers in food production and distribution.

The Regional Labour Market Indicator (RLMI) consolidates essential labour market metrics from both employee and employer perspectives into a single measure of regional workforce performance. Search the interactive map to discover and compare labour market condition in various regions across Australia

Find more information on the Jobs and Skills Australia website.

National Jobs and Skills Council Update

Jobs and Skills Councils (JSCs) are a national network of industry owned and led organisations, designed to provide leadership in addressing national skills and training needs. They have been established to supply industry with a strong and strategic voice within the VET sector as part of broader government-led skills reform.

JSC activities affiliated to Public Sector industries are listed below.

Future Skills Organisation (FSO): FSO has a range of Projects underway which can be accessed using the following links:

BuildSkills Australia (BSA): BuildSkills is conducting both Training Product and Research Projects which can be accessed using the links below:

Water industry stakeholders should reach out to George Wall for any specific water sector issues.

Public Skills Australia (PSA): Public Skills Australia has a range of projects underway.

Find out more and/or provide feedback using the links below: