Jun 20, 2024
NSW Public Sector ITAB June 2024 Newsletter
In this month's newsletter
- May GTAN AND WTAN Forum Resources now available
- NSW Budget invests in TAFE, Apprentices and Trainees and At-Risk Youth
- NSW Skills List Updated – Version 15.0
- Upcoming launch of Skills NSW Facebook page
- Strategic direction outlined in the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Roadmap
- Workforce composition survey for NSW local water utilities
- NSW VET Review calls for secure funding for Training Providers
- NSW SES Volunteers respond to simulated mass casualty disaster
- Emergency Response Capabilities Tested at Port Kembla
- National Jobs and Skills Council Update
May GTAN AND WTAN Forum Resources now available
Facilitated by the NSW Public Sector ITAB, the Government and Water Trainers and Assessors Networks (GTAN and WTAN) meet regularly to share and discuss issues impacting skilling and training within government, public safety and water industries across metropolitan, regional and rural NSW.
The May Forums were a great success and on behalf of the ITAB and all network participants, we’d like to thank the following forum presenters for sharing their time, expertise and insights into skills and training within their organisations/sectors.
• Jen James – Local Government NSW
• Kirsty Waugh – Public Skills Australia
• Josh Flemming – NSW Rural Fire Services
• Christian Leclair – TAFE NSW
• George Wall – Build Skills Australia
• Lisa Andersons & Melissa Wortman – DCCEEW
• Carolyn Griffin – Central JO Water Alliance (Joint Organisation of Councils)
Government and Public Safety Skills and Training Network Forum (GTAN)
(All level of Government, Local Councils, Correctional Services, Public Safety, Police & Defence)
Date: 28 May 2024
Time: 10:00am – 11:30am
Access Recording and Presentation Slides
Water Industry Skills and Training Network (WTAN)
Date: 28 May 2024
Time: 2:00pm – 3:30pm
Access Recording and Presentation Slides
NOTE Change of Date: Next online GTAN & WTAN forums will be held on Tuesday 3 September 2024.
NSW Budget invests in TAFE, Apprentices and Trainees and At-Risk Youth
The NSW Government has announced a historic $2.5 billion investment in TAFE NSW as part of the 2024-25 Budget, aiming to fortify the state's skills sector. This substantial funding is pivotal for advancing key priorities, such as housing development, renewable energy, reviving domestic manufacturing, and staffing essential services like hospitals and aged care.
Enhancing the Teaching Workforce:
To address the state's skills shortages, the Budget includes an $83.1 million allocation to convert 500 casual TAFE teachers to permanent roles, providing better job security and attracting more talent to the profession. This follows a significant pay increase for teachers, the largest in over 20 years.
Upgrading Education Infrastructure:
The Budget also dedicates $190 million for urgent repairs and upgrades at TAFE campuses. This includes modernizing 5,000 digital devices and enhancing Wi-Fi across 40 campuses, ensuring students have access to up-to-date facilities and equipment. Previous investments have already improved infrastructure at 111 campuses, with enhanced Wi-Fi at 29 regional locations.
Supporting Apprenticeships and Traineeships:
A $16.3 million investment will continue the fully subsidized training program for all apprentices and trainees, removing financial barriers and supporting the growing demand for skilled workers in sectors such as healthcare, hospitality, construction, and renewable energy.
Assisting At-Risk Youth:
The "Get Back in the Game" program receives $4.9 million to help vulnerable teenagers re-engage with education, training, and employment. This initiative underscores the government's commitment to supporting at-risk youth.
Long-Term Commitment to TAFE NSW:
The NSW Government’s second Budget reaffirms its commitment to making TAFE NSW a cornerstone of vocational education, responsive to industry and community needs. This record investment aims to build stronger communities, homes, and futures for NSW residents.
This significant financial commitment ensures that TAFE NSW can continue to up-skill the next generation and re-skill existing workers, aligning with the government's vision of a skilled and resilient workforce.
For more information visit the Department of Education website.
NSW Skills List Updated – Version 15.0
The NSW Skills List has been updated to reflect:
- Update to a Vocational Training Order (VTO)
- Qualifications removed from the Pre-qualified List
- Updated tags on Skills List for NSW Fee Free qualifications.
a. VTO change affecting the NSW Skills List
Following an update to a NSW Vocational Training Order, one superseding qualification detailed in a previous Smart and Skilled Update can now be delivered via a school-based traineeship under Smart and Skilled. The relevant qualification is
- AHC30221 Certificate III in Dairy Production Pathways: Traineeship, School-based Traineeship
b. Qualifications removed from the pre-qualified List
Qualifications on the Skills List that have no or very low training activity but where demand is expected to rise in the future may be added to the Pre-qualified List and can return to the Skills List if demand increases. Qualifications stay on the Pre-qualified List for a period of three years. If there have been no requests to re-add the qualification to the Skills List in that time, the qualification is removed from the Pre-qualified List.
Version 15.0 of the NSW Skills List is now available on the NSW Government website.
Upcoming launch of Skills NSW Facebook page
On 29 July 2024, a new Skills NSW Facebook page will be launched, consolidating Training Services NSW, the NSW Training Awards, and School-based Apprentices and Trainees in NSW into a single platform.
This new Facebook page will serve as a comprehensive source of information on skills and tertiary education programs, providing news and updates about various initiatives and events.
Skills NSW Facebook aims to enhance the perception of vocational education and training as a viable path to employment and skill development. It will offer insights into programs and services designed to assist in training, supporting, and retaining staff, including apprentices and trainees.
Find out more about programs and services that can help you train, support, and retain staff, including apprentices and trainees on the Training Service NSW Website.
Strategic direction outlined in the Apprenticeship and Traineeship Roadmap
An Apprenticeship and Traineeship Roadmap showing the strategic direction for 2024-2026 is now available. The roadmap aims to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of apprenticeship and traineeship programs, improve learning outcomes, and increase completion rates to meet the industry's ongoing skills demand.
The A&T Roadmap focuses on five Strategic Pillars to achieve these goals:
- Efficient Delivery: Ensuring that apprenticeship and traineeship programs are responsive to both learner and industry needs.
- Increased Learner Uptake: Maximizing the number of apprentices and trainees.
- Resource Allocation: Optimizing resources and support to boost completion rates.
- Capacity Building: Ensuring the training system can meet current and future demand.
- Supportive Processes: Streamlining internal processes to facilitate apprenticeship and traineeship delivery.
This roadmap sets a clear strategic direction for improving the NSW training system and supporting the workforce of the future.
Visit the NSW Government website to find out more.
Workforce composition survey for NSW local water utilities
To help build a picture of the water industry and support future resourcing, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is undertaking a survey about staffing at local water utilities (LWUs).
The department is seeking data from LWUs including, staffing numbers, vacancies, employee demographics and training requirements. Data collected will be used to support strategies for workforce development within LWUs, specifically relating to operational roles. Individual organisations will not be identified in reporting and the information provided will be treated as confidential by the department. The survey is open from 31 May – 22 July 2024.
The NSW Public Sector ITAB supports this initiative and strongly encourages all LWUs to participate to help build an accurate picture of the current workforce which will help determine resourcing for the future.
To reach out to the survey team and find out more, email the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
Further information, including a copy of the survey can be found on the Department’s website: Improve access to skills and training | Water (nsw.gov.au).
Use the links below to join a survey support session or register for an information webinar on this and other initiatives underway to improve skills and training in the NSW water sector
27 June 2024
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Register here for Information webinar
3 July 2024
10:30am – 11:30am
NSW VET Review calls for secure funding for Training Providers
The final stage of the NSW VET review, set to be released in the coming weeks, highlights the need for streamlined and reliable funding for NSW VET providers. Dr. Michele Bruniges, head of the review panel, emphasized at the AEN NSW & ACT Skills Conference that funding complexity and uncertainty were major concerns raised in public submissions.
Dr. Bruniges noted a strong consensus on the need for funding arrangements to be simplified and made more predictable, with a balance between compliance and provider innovation. Training providers also stressed the necessity of updating qualification prices within the Smart and Skilled program to reflect the true costs of training delivery across different regions and cohorts.
The review also focused on the VET workforce, addressing issues such as attraction, retention, professional development, and the heavy administrative burden on teachers. Concerns about outdated VET infrastructure and facilities were also prominent, with calls for assets that meet the diverse needs of face-to-face and online training.
The review process included 75 written submissions and over 1100 public survey responses. The initial findings were delivered in March, and the final report is expected to be submitted to the Minister by 30 June.
NSW SES Volunteers respond to simulated mass casualty disaster
NSW State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from around the state came together in mid-June to respond to nine unique mass disaster rescue scenarios at the State Disaster Rescue Challenge.
Held over three days at Narrabeen in Sydney, the competition tested the skills of more than 50 SES volunteers in situations that mimic real-life disasters, including responding to mass casualty events, extricating people from entrapment and confined spaces, retrieving casualties from heights, and search and rescue scenarios.
One of the biggest SES events of the calendar, the State Disaster Rescue Challenge required the support of one hundred and forty logistics, transport and rescue exercise specialists to create realistic and safe scenarios.
NSW SES Acting Assistant Commissioner Brigid Rice said Disaster Rescue Challenges, which have been running since 1988 in NSW, are an engaging way for SES members to put their knowledge and experience to the test.
Extensive preparation went into making this year’s event as realistic as possible, with moulage (the art of applying make-up and prosthetics to simulate injury) applied to dozens of role players on site, enhancing the realism for rescue operators.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Rice said teams take preparation extremely seriously, often training together for months ahead of the event. “Ultimately this leads to highly trained teams, serving our communities and keeping the residents of New South Wales safe,” she said.
The winner of this year’s event will represent the NSW SES at the National Disaster Rescue Challenge, to be held in Sydney on the 28th and 29th of September.
Read the full article on the SES website.
Emergency Response Capabilities Tested at Port Kembla
On Friday, 7 June, frontline emergency services and port operators participated in a multi-agency training exercise at Port Kembla’s AAT terminal, organized by the Port Authority of NSW. This exercise focused on honing incident response skills through a simulated fire scenario.
Port Kembla and Southern Coast Harbour Master, Sharad Bhasin, emphasized the collaborative effort among various emergency response agencies to protect people and the environment. "The highly trained participants' specialized skills are crucial in real-life incidents where every second counts," he noted. He stressed the importance of annual training to plan, evaluate, and improve emergency protocols and procedures.
The exercise included representatives from NSW fire and rescue, police, ambulance services, the Environment Protection Authority, NSW Ports, AAT, and Svitzer. Jonathan Lafforgue of NSW Ports highlighted the importance of emergency preparedness, ensuring all agencies understand their roles and processes. He added that while the hope is to avoid real-life incidents, these drills offer invaluable experience and opportunities for collaboration and idea-sharing among agencies.
Read the full article on the Port Authority NSW website.
National Jobs and Skills Council Update
Activity related to key JSCs affiliated to Public Sector industries:
Public Skills Australia (PSA): Public Skills Australia has submitted their Workforce Plan to DEEWR and will release it once approved to do so. Visit the PSA website to register your interest in the work of PSA or place an enquiry.
BuildSkills Australia (BSA): TVisit the website to register your interest in being involved or make a case for change to improve industry training products. Reach out to George Wall for any specific water sector issues.
Future Skills Organisation (FSO): Visit the FSO website to view the workforce plan, current projects, news and events and read reports such as the Impact of generative AI on skills in the workplace.
