Training for the care sector is being boosted with the Australian and Queensland governments jointly investing $35 million to establish the Care and Support TAFE Centre of Excellence in Cairns.
The Centre will deliver critical higher-level skills training to grow and sustain Australia’s essential health care and support services. It will focus on exploring new pathways in nursing, First Nations peoples health, and health leadership.
The Centre will leverage Queensland TAFE’s state-wide footprint across rural and regional communities to address place-based workforce needs and respond to challenges in the health care and support industry.
The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP, Minister for Skills and Training, said, “the Centre will strengthen the VET system by providing high-quality and responsive skills training for our essential health care workforces”.
The Centre will strengthen capability and capacity for the aged care, disability support and mental health care sector by:
- Improving training delivery through new training products and teaching models.
- Working with communities to grow and retain critical care and support sector workforce capability.
- Accelerating commitments to Closing the Gap targets to develop and deliver culturally appropriate and safe training pathways for First Nations students.
- Providing industry and community-led applied research, responding to workforce needs, including development of new higher apprenticeship pathways in nursing and health leadership.
It is the third Centre of Excellence to be established under the Nationals Skills Agreement.
Background information
TAFE Centres of Excellence will increase collaboration between TAFEs, through partnerships with employers, unions, universities and other stakeholders. They will deliver the skills people need for good, secure work and careers.
The Australian Government is investing $325 million under the 5-year National Skills Agreement to establish a network of up to 20 TAFE Centres of Excellence. Each Centre of Excellence will focus on high skills needs to help deliver a skilled workforce for strategically important industries.
More information
- Visit the TAFE Centres of Excellence page
- Visit the National Skills Agreement page
- Read the Minister’s media release