In the recent past we have highlighted the federal and Victorian budgets as well as the skills plan for Queensland. Now it is South Australia’s turn. Their budget was handed down on 6 June last. The skills budget summary points out that State and Commonwealth Governments’ will make a total investment of $2.3 billion over five years in skills and training under the National Skills Agreement to provide for the jobs of the future.

The budget “provides an additional $610.3 million over the forward estimates ($692.6 million to 2028-29), bringing total funding for skills and training to $2.3 billion over five years,” representing a 43 per cent increase in skills funding over these five years. This, the budget summary suggests, will ensure “that South Australians get the skills they need for the jobs being created across our economy. Funding will support TAFE SA, not-for-profits and other non-government training providers, and there is a key focus on student supports to boost training completion.”

Budget highlights include:

Additional training places: $275.6 million will be provided “to increase the number of training places by around 35 per cent to over 160 000, prioritising the future skills needs of the state in areas including defence, health, building and construction, early childhood education, clean energy transition and ICT. This includes a 20 per cent increase in TAFE SA places in regional SA.”

Ensuring training improvements: $62.6 million has been allocated “to support quality training, including a boost to audits and investigations to ensure training providers and employers meet their obligations. This also includes a strong focus on apprenticeship safety and addressing unacceptable behaviours in the training system.”

Additional student supports: $56.2 million will be provided “to support students and increase training completion rates, including additional funding for financial and other wellbeing supports, such as help to find secure housing and manage financial stress, access to career and course information, and foundational skills programs.”

Attention to the vocational education and training workforce: $53.1 million has been allocated to increase the VET workforce, develop curriculum to meet the state’s economic priorities, and invest in teaching plant and equipment and student infrastructure.

Support for First Nations students: $18.3 million will help fund Closing the Gap initiatives “that deliver tailored education programs to First Nations students, and support lifting the proportion of Aboriginal people with a Certificate III or above.”

Workforce planning: $13.3 million is provided “to support the state’s workforce planning and defence industries pathways programs,” and

Support for the regions: $9 million will help support programs in regional areas “to connect learners, employers and trainers to get people into training and work where it is needed most.”

And what’s in the New South Wales budget?

According to the NSW Government’s plan for the state, initiatives relevant to the VET sector include:

  • $190.2 million to undertake urgent repairs at campuses across the State and improve Wi-Fi at campuses across the State.
  • $83.1 million to support increased permanency within TAFE NSW through the conversion of 500 casual teachers into permanent employment, and
  • An additional $8.9 million, to bring total expenditure up to $16.3 million, for Fee Free training for all apprentices and trainees in NSW.