The Australian Government, in partnership with the South Australian Government, will make more than 1,300 new Fee-Free TAFE and vocational education and training (VET) places available in construction and housing sector courses in South Australia.
The Australian Government today announced funding of $5.92 million for the 1,340 new Fee-Free TAFE places, including up to 340 pre-apprenticeship places that will start next January. It's the first time apprenticeships have been added to the Fee-Free TAFE list.
Fee-Free TAFE and high-quality private training provider VET places are removing financial barriers to train, making it easier for South Australians to gain skills and a career in the construction and housing sectors.
Having more people skilled in these high-demand sectors will make a huge impact in delivering the necessary building works to support both government's ambitions to ease the housing crisis.
The Australian and South Australian governments are demonstrating their commitment to close the skills gap and build more homes through the extension of Fee-Free TAFE.
More than 508,000 Australians have already enrolled in Fee-Free TAFE nationally since it was launched in January 2023, including almost 35,000 enrolled in construction courses.
In South Australia, there were 16,990 student enrolments in Fee-Free TAFE courses from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2024, including:
- over 2,300 enrolments in the construction sector
- over 3,600 in the care sector
- over 3,600 in the technology and digital sector
- over 1,200 enrolments in the hospitality and tourism sector.
More than 3,000 enrolments were in regional areas.
The announcement today builds on the Australian and South Australian governments' commitment to address housing supply as a national priority under the National Skills Agreement.
Quotes attributable to the Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Giles:
"Today's announcement is about helping more South Australians get started in the construction industry. But its reach goes beyond training places for students. This is about creating a workforce that will build houses for Australian families to own and call home.
"Almost 17,000 South Australians have already enrolled in Fee-Free TAFE, getting a free education in sectors the country needs skilled workers the most.
"The extra 1,340 Fee-Free TAFE and VET places in construction and housing sector courses will train more South Australians and help directly ease our nation's skills crisis."
Quotes attributable to the South Australian Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer:
"Fee-Free TAFE is such an important initiative to break down barriers to education and training and make courses more accessible to people who otherwise would not have had the opportunity.
It has been a gamechanger for South Australians seeking to get the skills they need for a rewarding career. Courses offered through Fee-Free TAFE directly align with areas where we need thousands more highly trained workers, particularly in the housing and construction industry.
There are 77,300 construction industry workers in South Australia, representing 8.1 per cent of total employment. The delivery of new housing and major public infrastructure projects requires a healthy pipeline of skilled workers across construction management, trade and skilled labourer roles - and we need to train those workers now.
That's why the State and Commonwealth Governments have committed unprecedented levels of funding towards bolstering our state's VET sector - including a $2.3 billion joint investment through the National Skills Agreement."
