NSW Fee-Free traineeships

Traineeships remain one of NSW’s most effective pathways into stable, rewarding careers across a diverse range of industries. The NSW Government has announced a continuation of the Fee-Free Traineeship initiative until 30 June 2027, which can remove training costs of up to $1,000 per person for eligible participants.

Under this initiative, trainees can combine paid employment with nationally recognised training, gaining hands-on experience and formal qualifications simultaneously. Most traineeships take between one and two years to complete and are designed to build practical, work-ready skills aligned with industry needs.

Currently, more than 390 traineeship qualifications are subsidised through the Smart and Skilled program. These span priority sectors such as early childhood education and care, health and allied services, business administration, information technology, community services, hospitality, logistics, and warehouse operations. 

Employers are encouraged to take advantage of the available supports including Commonwealth wage subsidies, mentoring programs, and training incentives which can be combined with the fee-free policy to make employing trainees more affordable and sustainable.

Further details, including eligibility criteria and a full list of funded traineeship qualifications, are available on the Skills NSW website.

NSW SES hosts inaugural statewide Flood Rescue Challenge

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) has launched its inaugural Flood Rescue Challenge, bringing together more than 150 volunteers for two days of intensive, scenario-based training at the Penrith Whitewater Stadium on 8–9 November.

Seven teams representing each SES zone took part in a series of realistic flood rescue exercises, including large-scale casualty incidents, vehicle extractions from rising water, and rapid-water rescues involving simulated swept-away victims. The event provided volunteers with a live, hands-on environment to refine the specialist skills required during major flood operations.

The Challenge comes after an exceptionally demanding year for the NSW SES. Volunteers have carried out more than 1,100 flood rescues in 2025, more than double the number recorded during the same period in 2024.

Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said the training scenarios were designed to mirror the complex and unpredictable situations crews encounter in the field, while strengthening teamwork and adaptability. “While competitive in spirit, the real purpose is to give volunteers the chance to practise, learn and sharpen the advanced skills needed to save lives in floodwaters,” he said.

The Flood Rescue Challenge builds on SES efforts to expand rescue capability statewide. Since 2022, more than 2,000 SES members and partner agency personnel have completed accredited flood rescue training. Assistant Commissioner Storey said the event marks another step in preparing volunteers for increasing climate-driven emergency demand.

Read the full article on the NSW SES website.

Register now for the Macleay 2026 School–Industry Connection Day 

Local employers are invited to register for the 2026 School–Industry Connection (SIC) Day in the Macleay, taking place on Thursday, 18 June 2026. The annual event connects senior students from Kempsey and surrounding areas with local businesses, showcasing career pathways, traineeships, apprenticeships (including school-based options), and casual employment opportunities.

SIC Day provides a valuable platform for industry to engage directly with young people, promote workforce opportunities, and strengthen local talent pipelines.

Businesses and stallholders can now submit an Expression of Interest via the registration form:

SIC Day in the Macleay 2026 – Employer & Stallholder Registration

Further event information will be provided in early 2026, and calendar invitations will be issued once EOIs are received. Organisers welcome feedback and encourage participants to share the invitation with other interested businesses.

For any questions or to discuss your involvement, please reach out to the event coordinator.

JSA releases Jobs and Skills report

Jobs and Skills Australia has released its Connecting for Impact: Jobs and Skills Report 2025, highlighting how better alignment between people’s skills and job requirements is now critical to lifting national productivity and reducing workforce shortages. The report emphasises that improved matching supported by stronger training pathways, inclusive workplaces and digital capability uplift is vital across government, emergency services and essential industry sectors.

For NSW, the report is particularly relevant to public safety, health, water and local government workforces. JSA notes persistent shortages across care, health and emergency services, and highlights that occupations with stronger inclusivity experience fewer shortages. First Nations and women workers remain under-represented in higher-skill public sector roles, with only 10% of First Nations workers employed in gender-balanced occupations. 

The report also calls for urgent system-wide investment in digital and AI skills, an important direction for NSW public sector modernisation, policing technology, emergency operations and local government digital reform. JSA’s modelling further shows many regional NSW communities face “job deficit” conditions, where matching is efficient, but vacancies are limited, affecting water utilities, community safety and essential services.

Apprenticeships and traineeships continue to grow in key public-good occupations, including a four-fold increase in female electrical apprentices since 2015, supporting future workforce capability. 

Overall, Connecting for Impact offers timely evidence to guide NSW agencies and industry partners in strengthening skills pipelines, improving inclusion, and planning for future workforce demand.

Discussion Paper to advance Australia’s shift to ‘skills-first’ economy

Jobs and Skills Australia (JSA) has released a new discussion paper, Building a system that puts people and skills first, outlining the next major step in developing the National Skills Taxonomy (NST), a core reform designed to modernise how Australia understands, develops and recognises skills.

The paper positions the NST as essential to transitioning Australia from a qualification-led system to a skills-first workforce ecosystem, where skills are the fundamental currency of learning, hiring and career mobility. JSA notes that in an era of rapid technological change, AI adoption and evolving job design, traditional qualifications alone no longer capture the full breadth and speed of skills required in modern workplaces.

The NST will create a common skills language, enabling clearer communication between industry, VET, higher education, and non-formal training providers. This will give employers better visibility of workers’ capabilities, support more targeted training investment, and improve alignment between education pathways and labour market needs.

The discussion paper emphasises that adopting a skills-first approach will help Australia build a more agile, inclusive and productive workforce, and strengthen national capacity to respond to emerging skills demands.

JSA is now seeking industry input to shape the next phase of the National Skills Taxonomy. This represents an important opportunity for employers, industry bodies and training partners to help define the skills architecture that will underpin future workforce planning, job design and training delivery across the country.