‘Results speak for themselves’: Guaranteed funding for skills training program

School-based training in the trades will be funded to the tune of $39 million, as the state government doubles down on a successful vocational education program that has proved very popular.

School-based training in the trades will be funded to the tune of $39 million, as the state government doubles down on a successful vocational education program that has surged in popularity.

More than 50,000 high school students participated in the ‘educational pathways program’ (EPP) last year alone – nearly 14 times the number of young people involved in the pilot scheme back in 2021.

The program, which includes job readiness workshops, career ‘taster’ experiences at TAFE and mentorship for school-based trainees and apprentices, is designed to strengthen NSW’s pipeline of skilled workers by exposing high school students to a range of trades.

Rather than leaving school in Year 10, students are encouraged to finish their HSC while earning their vocational qualifications.

It comes as the nation faces a skills crisis, with more than 320 occupations listed as ‘in shortage’ in NSW alone according to Jobs and Skills Australia, including panelbeaters, plumbers and electricians.

Seven Hills High School VET students Rhys Aston, 16, and Riley Graczol, 16 with program graduate Xavier Jeremijenko, 18 (centre) at the school’s Vocational Innovation Centre. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

18-year-old Wollongong labourer Xavier Jeremijenko completed a construction industry “productivity bootcamp” through the EPP at Keira High School in 2022, and said the experience “really cemented” his decision to pursue a Certificate II in construction.

Completing the HSC at the same time as a trade qualification was “definitely a juggling act”, he said, “but I wouldn’t change a thing if I went back”.

“It’s taken me places that I never thought I’d be, and directly helped me get my current job,” he said.

“I would not be where I am without the opportunities the program gave me.”

Xavier Jeremijenko, an EPP graduate, said he wouldn’t be where he is today without the program. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

The additional $38.9 million in funding for the EPP will allow the program to expand beyond the current offerings at the 183 schools involved, including by securing additional hours with TAFE teachers.

Skills Minister Steve Whan said the “results speak for themselves”.

“The Educational Pathways Program has proven itself as a game-changer for students, schools and employers right across NSW,” he said.

“By making its funding ongoing, we’re guaranteeing its impact for years to come.”

TAFE Minister Steve Whan (second from right) with Rhys Aston, 16, Xavier Jeremijenko, and Riley Graczol, 16. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Department of Education Secretary Murat Dizdar said the EPP has opened students’ eyes, and their parents’, to “incredible post-school opportunities” in the vocational trades.

“I am committed to ensuring every student leaves school equipped with the skills they need to succeed,” he said.

“Skills Week is the perfect time to dispel outdated stereotypes of vocational education and instead focus on the nation-building potential these careers now represent in a rapidly evolving jobs landscape.”

Originally published as ‘Results speak for themselves’: Guaranteed funding for skills training program