South Australia will need to deliver almost 100,000 vocational education training (VET) qualifications over the next five years to meet the skills demand of the State's industries.
New data in the Skills Outlook 2023, produced by the State Government to better target where investments in skills should be made, shows that the demand for skilled workers spans across all industries of the economy, with particularly high demand for VET qualified workers in construction, retail and hospitality, manufacturing, education and training, and health and social assistance sectors.
New entrants into the labour market will make up about 60,000 people with VET qualifications needed over the next five years – the rest will be those broadening their skills or upskilling.
In order to support training providers to deliver those key qualifications, over $5 million in grants have been awarded, including to TAFE SA, to address the skills crisis and deliver a key Malinauskas Labor Government skills election commitment.
The Minister for Education, Training and Skills, Blair Boyer, visited the TAFE SA Elizabeth campus to announce that high demand industries including bricklaying, cookery, concreting, electrical and building trades will share in $2.45 million to develop new courses and support more students to study in these areas.
TAFE SA has been provided with funding to develop and offer the Certificate III in Concreting for the first time – which was one of the areas of specific concern raised prior to the election and one we committed to addressing. TAFE SA is also a partner in the bricklaying initiative funded to get more students into the industry.
This funding comes as TAFE SA undergoes the biggest reform in over a decade as part of the TAFE Roadmap for the Future, released today.
Other recipients of funding include the Housing Industry Association, PEER, Brick and Block Careers, Civil Train SA and Adelaide Institute of Hospitality.
The Malinauskas Labor Government is also introducing new Skills Centres in South Australia for the first time – an investment of over $2 million.
Skills Centres will be established in regional areas, which will be physical spaces for South Australians to access information about local training and employment opportunities, as well as providing new specialised facilities in key industries such as forestry, automotive and community services.
The Skills Centres will be established in the Limestone Coast, Murraylands, Cleve, Port Augusta and Berri.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has today also launched the new My Training website – a new one-stop-shop for South Australians to easily find the jobs in demand and the courses they can do to get into those jobs. The website makes it easier for South Australians to identify high-demand industries.
The website can be found at https://mytraining.skills.sa.gov.au
As put by Blair Boyer
The Malinauskas Labor Government heard from industry that funding to develop new courses and target students in priority areas is critical – and we have listened.
Our government is working tirelessly to address the skills crisis we face as a nation. This funding will go a long way towards getting more South Australians into the industries that need it most, as well as complement the range of other initiatives we are working on to build capacity including Fee-Free TAFE, the five new technical colleges and improving completions.
We need to put the work in now, to ensure we have the capacity and skills, to deliver the ambitious projects of the future including AUKUS, hydrogen, and three-year-old preschool.
As put by the South Australian Skills Commissioner Cameron Baker
Today's announcements are the result of a genuine partnership between industry and government to identify, plan for and allocate urgently needed resources to support sectors that are experiencing a critical shortage of skilled workers.
This is how the South Australian skills system should work – demonstrated critical needs are identified by industry and addressed quickly for the benefit of all South Australians.
As put by TAFE SA Chief Executive David Coltman
We welcome the State Government's additional support to address skills shortages and we're looking forward to further boosting trade skills in South Australia.
As the public provider of vocational education and training, TAFE SA is focused on delivering job-ready training that meets the needs of industry and provides students with the skills they need to participate in the workforce now and into the future.
As put by Master Builders Association (SA) Chief Executive Officer Will Frogley
Master Builders SA estimates that by November 2026 South Australia's construction industry needs an additional 31,149 people to meet demand, including 14,685 tradies.
Strong action is required today to prevent construction work from taking longer, becoming more expensive and quality suffering. The Skills Shortage Solution grants are exactly the type of thing our industry needs.
Bricklaying and concreting are two skills that are especially in demand, but career opportunities in virtually all trades are extensive.
As put by Brick and Block Careers Chief Executive Officer Michael Morrissey
Brick and Block Careers is pleased to have received the funding grant, which has facilitated the hiring of an Industry Engagement Officer as well as increased marketing in South Australia.
The full-time Industry Engagement Officer will help to expand brick and block laying job possibilities throughout South Australia, hence supporting the Brick and Block manufacturers in the state.
Brick and Block Careers would like to acknowledge the Government of South Australia and all stakeholders involved, for their foresight and dedication to investing in the next generation of skilled professionals.
