TAFE is part of the NSW Government’s strategy to rebound from the economic slump that has accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic — offering 21 fee-free, accredited, online TAFE short courses to reskill job seekers and workers.
Federation Deputy Secretary (Post Schools) Maxine Sharkey said TAFE has historically been the go-to institution when the economy needs a kick start.
“TAFE is the answer for vocational education because TAFE is agile and there’s a TAFE college within every regional community that can adapt to what the community needs quickly,” she said.
Ms Sharkey said the Government’s response for the sector post-COVID would need to be different from its initial offering of short courses to reskill individuals.
“The Government needs to look to the future and the whole way the labour market will work,” she said.
“We need to ensure TAFE is adequately funded to adapt to the changing needs of each community and industry,” she added.
“For three decades TAFE has suffered funding cuts. In this new age, the community will not accept this.”
TAFE NSW — the anchor institution of the vocational education system — is also offering fee-free Bushfire Relief short courses, tailored to provide the skills needed to help rebuild communities devastated by bushfires in recent months.
Kerri Carr is a staff writer