TAFE NSW secure with budget reform

A MAJOR government reform will save more than $80 million over four years for TAFE NSW and ensure teachers, rather than consultants, are at the centre of course development.

From 2026, TAFE NSW will receive a predictable, long-term budget, aiming to support a focus on delivering high-quality education and training to students.

For the past decade, TAFE NSW has competed with private training providers for annual government funding, which has increased bureaucracy and instability.

The reform will reduce administrative red tape for teachers and deliver on the recommendations of the NSW VET Review by the Minns Government.

Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, said TAFE NSW teachers were among our best educators.

“They have the skills, professional industry experience, and knowledge to create effective learning environments that engage and support students to develop the skills needed to succeed in the workplace,” Whan said.

“It makes absolute sense that TAFE NSW draws on its incredible internal knowledge base for course development, along with the expertise of other TAFEs and industry partners, rather than relying on external companies.

“We made a commitment to remove TAFE NSW from competitive funding, and this is us delivering on that commitment. Not only will it provide a more reliable budget to support longer-term planning for educational delivery, but it will free up teachers from extra administrative tasks to focus more on what they do best.”

NSW Teachers Federation Acting President, Amber Flohm, welcomed the removal of TAFE NSW from contestable funding to receive direct funding from the government in the same way as schools.

“Freeing up our TAFE NSW teachers to do more of the job they love, teaching their students and preparing curriculum for them, rather than hours of administration which has no effect on their students’ skill development and education, is to be applauded,” Flohm said.

“Returning TAFE NSW to its rightful place as the public education institution, which we can all be proud of, a government asset for the public good, serving our students, communities and addressing the skills shortages, is welcomed by the Federation after twelve long years of neglect and destruction by the Liberals and Nationals.”