Free TAFE courses launched to boost Australia’s manufacturing workforce

The Albanese and Minns Labor governments announced on Friday four new Free TAFE courses designed to strengthen Australia's manufacturing sector by upskilling workers and creating new employment pathways.

The courses will be offered through the TAFE NSW Manufacturing Centres of Excellence, established last year with $157.2 million in matched funding from the Commonwealth and NSW governments over four years.

Three self-paced online Microskills courses are now open for enrolment: “Discover renewable manufacturing careers,” “Discover advanced manufacturing careers,” and “Maths foundations in the manufacturing industry.” A fourth Microcredential in “Generative design and analysis” will provide specialised training in advanced computer-aided drafting software.

These offerings represent the first wave of specialised manufacturing training planned for delivery through the Centres of Excellence this year.

To enhance tertiary collaboration, a University Partnership Panel involving 10 universities across New South Wales, Victoria, and Queensland has been established to support expertise in manufacturing education over the next four years.

“Free TAFE is changing lives and it is building Australia's future,” said Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles. “The TAFE Centres of Excellence were established to be job-creating hubs, and this is more evidence that what we're doing is working.”

NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan added that these initial Free TAFE courses are “just the beginning of the collaboration across TAFE NSW, universities and the manufacturing industry.”

The TAFE NSW Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will focus on developing local capability in renewable manufacturing within the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone.

Picture: credit TAFE/Facebook