Month: December 2021

The NSW Government has today unveiled new renewable energy courses, which will help power the growing demand for workers in the sector.
In a first for the State’s Public Training Provider, TAFE NSW will offer a Diploma of Renewable Energy Engineering from next year, along with five new micro-credentials aimed at helping students tap into the renewables jobs boom.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the NSW Government is positioning the State to be at the forefront of Australia’s renewable energy employment boom.
“The NSW Government is committed to a cleaner, greener future and an important part of that is ensuring we don’t just have the right renewable energy infrastructure, but we also have the right highly-trained workers to run it,” Mr Lee said.
“As Australia’s leading provider of vocational education and training, TAFE NSW is uniquely positioned to provide the practical skills and knowledge to power the industry into the future.”
The new TAFE NSW diploma was developed in close collaboration with industry and would be aligned to high-demand jobs in the renewables sector, including in solar, energy storage systems and wind technology.
Minister for Energy and Environment Matt Kean said the TAFE NSW courses will help transform the State into a clean energy superpower and support local job creation.
“Thousands of jobs will be created in the renewables sector in the coming years, particularly in our regions, and it’s great to see TAFE supporting these low carbon jobs of the future,” Mr Kean said.
“The NSW Government has the nation-leading policies and plans in place to help us deliver on our commitment to halve the State’s emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero by 2050,” Mr Kean said.
The NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is expected to support 6,300 construction jobs and 2,800 ongoing jobs, mostly in regional NSW, by 2030.
The new courses are being offered at TAFE NSW Ultimo and Newcastle, via a blend of virtual classroom learning and face-to-face practical workshops.
For more information or to enrol in the Diploma of Renewable Energy Engineering, visit: https://bit.ly/3rlbgvf

Families with young children in NSW will have better access to high quality pre-school and early childhood education due to an historic agreement between the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.
The new National Preschool Reform Agreement, with NSW as its first signatory, ensures every child will receive high quality education in the year before school, regardless of where they live or their background.
Acting Minister for Education and Youth, Stuart Robert said the agreement will ensure children in NSW have access to quality preschool options and are better prepared for their first year of school.
‘This funding agreement provides certainty to parents, educators and the sector throughout New South Wales,’ Minister Robert said.
‘It will help every child in New South Wales—about 400,000 children over four years—have the opportunity to attend at least 15 hours of preschool a week in the year before they start school.’
The Commonwealth Government has committed $560 million of new funding with more than $280 million from the NSW Government to support the four year funding deal.
The NSW Government will also increase the quality of preschool and long day care education by delivering targeted programs for children who experience disadvantage.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said our most important economic asset is our people and there is no better way to ensure a prosperous future than to make sure everyone has the best possible education and start to life.
‘We want every child in NSW to have the best start in life and every family the support they need to fully participate in the workforce,’ Mr Kean said.
‘Investing in our people, our families and our kids will help us grow today’s economy by increasing workforce participation rates and it will help our future prosperity by giving our kids the best possible start in life.
‘This is a game changing deal for families in NSW, providing parents and carers the freedom to participate in the workforce in ways that better suit their needs.’
Funding will be linked to reforms to increase preschool participation rates and improve outcomes, benefiting all children regardless of the type of preschool they attend.
In NSW increased funding to long day care will also allow a greater focus on quality and support for children’s transition to school.
There will also be an increased focus on engagement of children and families, particularly from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds, to help them have a happy, safe and supported preschool experience and a stronger start in life.
NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new funding deal will provide stability to the sector and provide more access to early childhood education for young children.
‘Every child deserves the best start in life, and this reform means more children will have access to a quality preschool education right across New South Wales,’ Ms Mitchell said.
‘This agreement builds on our commitment to support young families through our free preschool program, which we know has made a positive impact across New South Wales.
‘By boosting funding for long day care services to provide high quality preschool programs, families will get more flexibility and choice when it comes to early education for their child.’
The historic signing means the Preschool Reform Agreement 2022-2025 is now a National Partnership and the Commonwealth welcomes other states signing on ahead of the 2022 preschool year.
The Commonwealth has guaranteed ongoing funding for preschools and this four-year agreement provides long term certainty to around 300,000 Australian children and their families each year, along with the early childhood education sector.
The Commonwealth’s historic investment in early childhood education also includes around $10 billion a year through the child care system to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for families using child care and improve workforce participation.

Families with young children in NSW will have better access to high quality pre-school and early childhood education due to an historic agreement between the Commonwealth and New South Wales Governments.
The new National Preschool Reform Agreement, with NSW as its first signatory, ensures every child will receive high quality education in the year before school, regardless of where they live or their background.
Acting Minister for Education and Youth, Stuart Robert said the agreement will ensure children in NSW have access to quality preschool options and are better prepared for their first year of school.
‘This funding agreement provides certainty to parents, educators and the sector throughout New South Wales,’ Minister Robert said.
‘It will help every child in New South Wales—about 400,000 children over four years—have the opportunity to attend at least 15 hours of preschool a week in the year before they start school.’
The Commonwealth Government has committed $560 million of new funding with more than $280 million from the NSW Government to support the four year funding deal.
The NSW Government will also increase the quality of preschool and long day care education by delivering targeted programs for children who experience disadvantage.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean said our most important economic asset is our people and there is no better way to ensure a prosperous future than to make sure everyone has the best possible education and start to life.
‘We want every child in NSW to have the best start in life and every family the support they need to fully participate in the workforce,’ Mr Kean said.
‘Investing in our people, our families and our kids will help us grow today’s economy by increasing workforce participation rates and it will help our future prosperity by giving our kids the best possible start in life.
‘This is a game changing deal for families in NSW, providing parents and carers the freedom to participate in the workforce in ways that better suit their needs.’
Funding will be linked to reforms to increase preschool participation rates and improve outcomes, benefiting all children regardless of the type of preschool they attend.
In NSW increased funding to long day care will also allow a greater focus on quality and support for children’s transition to school.
There will also be an increased focus on engagement of children and families, particularly from vulnerable and disadvantaged backgrounds, to help them have a happy, safe and supported preschool experience and a stronger start in life.
NSW Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said the new funding deal will provide stability to the sector and provide more access to early childhood education for young children.
‘Every child deserves the best start in life, and this reform means more children will have access to a quality preschool education right across New South Wales,’ Ms Mitchell said.
‘This agreement builds on our commitment to support young families through our free preschool program, which we know has made a positive impact across New South Wales.
‘By boosting funding for long day care services to provide high quality preschool programs, families will get more flexibility and choice when it comes to early education for their child.’
The historic signing means the Preschool Reform Agreement 2022-2025 is now a National Partnership and the Commonwealth welcomes other states signing on ahead of the 2022 preschool year.
The Commonwealth has guaranteed ongoing funding for preschools and this four-year agreement provides long term certainty to around 300,000 Australian children and their families each year, along with the early childhood education sector.
The Commonwealth’s historic investment in early childhood education also includes around $10 billion a year through the child care system to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for families using child care and improve workforce participation.

Regional communities will benefit from a $98.3 million health services boost to support local and visiting frontline health workers as part of a record investment into more health services and infrastructure in the bush.
Premier Dominic Perrottet, Deputy Premier Paul Toole, Mental Health Minister Bronnie Taylor and Health Minister Brad Hazzard announced three new initiatives which aim to attract more health workers to regional NSW and support rural and regional patients who need to travel to access care.
The initiatives, which are part of the NSW Government’s recently announced $500 million package, include:

• $45.3 million to deliver modern, sustainable accommodation for health workers close to health facilities in the Murrumbidgee, Southern NSW and Far West Local Health Districts
• $30 million to help attract and retain health care workers, including new scholarships for young people
• $23 million to make it easier to access health care, including support for rural and regional patients who need to travel longer distances and a new online tool to navigate local services.

Mr Perrottet said this additional investment would help ensure people in rural and regional areas have access to the best health care possible, no matter where they lived.
“Health challenges can be tough enough without adding the burden of distance to a care plan, and that’s why we’ve set aside an additional $23 million to help address this,” Mr Perrottet said.
“The NSW Government’s focus has always been ensuring rural and regional communities get their share of health upgrades – and this latest announcement builds on the $900 million regional and rural health infrastructure spend in 2021-22.”
Mr Toole said a key component of the investment boost was securing more modern and sustainable accommodation for essential health workers which will also generate construction jobs in the regions.
“We know how important it is to ensure there is adequate and modern accommodation close to our health facilities in regional and rural communities that caters for locums, student placements and other visiting medical and nursing staff.
“This funding builds on the $30 million package for health worker housing I recently announced for the Hunter and Western NSW and extends the package to more than $75 million with intended benefits to communities in Broken Hill, Balranald, Cooma, Crookwell and Griffith,” Mr Toole said.
“The package also includes new regional scholarships to encourage young people from the bush to pursue a career in health care closer to home, caring for their communities.”
Mrs Taylor said the investment will also go towards supporting patients who need to travel long distances to access specialist care.
“As a registered nurse from the bush, I know firsthand how important it is that patients feel supported when having to travel away from home and their support networks for care,” Mrs Taylor said.
“Living in rural and regional NSW shouldn’t affect the care you receive, and this package delivers on all fronts – ensuring we have the health workforce, infrastructure and support we need.”
Mr Hazzard said the investment will help regional and rural health facilities provide upgraded or refurbished accommodation which is fit for purpose.
“There are many and varied challenges in attracting and retaining health staff to the regions and it is an issue nationwide, not just in New South Wales,” Mr Hazzard said.
“Our Government continues to look at and address those barriers such as providing modern accommodation and tackling the limited availability of leased residential property for health workers in various regions, including southern NSW.”

Even more teachers will now have access to incentives and pay bonuses, with the NSW Government expanding its Rural and Remote Incentives Reform program.
Deputy Premier Paul Toole and Minister for Education Sarah Mitchell today announced $8 million of the initial $15 million incentives package will be used to extend the existing program to include temporary teachers and double the bonuses for teachers taking up a job in regional NSW.
Mr Toole said the Liberals and Nationals Government is transforming the way teachers are incentivized in regional areas, ensuring all staff are provided with the flexibility and financial support they need.
“Making the decision to leave home and take up a teaching job in an unfamiliar town, often away from family and friends, isn’t easy. That’s why we’re expanding the most generous incentive system in the country, giving temporary teachers support including an additional salary of up to $30,000, as well travel, living and housing incentives,” Mr Toole said.
“We want all teachers to feel comfortable to expand their horizons and consider relocating to the bush and we know once they get there, they won’t look back.”
Ms Mitchell said the additional access to incentives for temporary teachers are crucial to encouraging more teachers to work in regional NSW.
“Temporary staff are vital to our system – they provide flexibility to schools and staff and it’s important we support them in the same way we support other staff in rural and remote areas,” Ms Mitchell said.
“We will also double the teacher recruitment funding from $10,000 to $20,000, giving eligible teachers an additional $20,000 on top of their teaching salaries to teach in the regions.
“We have the most generous incentive system in Australia, however over time it has grown in complexity. This is the first time we have inspected all aspects of the system to make it fair and flexible, allowing teachers to create a package that works best for them and their circumstances.”
The Rural and Remote Incentives Review included recommendations that support the existing commitments to regional NSW under the Rural and Remote Education Strategy.
The NSW Government commitments made to regional schools include improved access to technology infrastructure, increased access to early childhood education and a focus on strengthening leadership development programs for teachers will enable community growth and equity of opportunity across NSW.
The NSW Government has funded a $125 million Teacher Supply Strategy that is focused on ensuring the right teachers, with the right qualifications are working in places students need them. The full strategy can be seen here: https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/strategies-and-reports/teacher-supply-strategy

In another ground-breaking development for the game, Netball NSW is delighted to announce that the 2022 HART Junior and Senior State Titles will include male divisions for the first time.
The development comes as netball in NSW looks to continue expanding the game’s reach beyond its traditional playing base.
A frontrunner in terms of playing numbers when it comes to grassroots sport, netball has long been recognised as the leading team sport for women and young girls, as well as the standout leader in high-performance space for the same demographic.
However, as part of Netball Australia’s State of the Game Review, a compelling case was made for netball to be more inclusive in many areas including gender.
The inclusion of male divisions in the State Titles – the sport’s showpiece events at grassroots level – and the placement of the male M-League alongside Netball NSW’s end of year competition, the Court Craft Summer Series, adds to a growing list of initiatives such as the introduction of the organisation’s first Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan and the Inclusive Uniform Program.
Netball NSW CEO Tain Drinkwater said this was another landmark moment for the sport in the state.
“It is a myth that netball is only a sport for women and young girls,” she said. “But while it was the only team sport that gave the female demographic a fair-go for a very long time, it must also be acknowledged that male participants haven’t always been properly embraced.
“This is something that must change, and we are in the process of changing it with today’s announcement. We want both boys and men to have aspirations to represent their state and country, and contrary to the negative narrative that’s often aimed at netball there are already very well established and respected men’s competitions which run annually.
“Anything that Netball NSW can do to prepare players for these competitions in terms of pathways opportunities via the State Titles and the Summer Series is imperative for us, and overdue.
“Our NSW Swifts and GIANTS regularly play against the NSW Men’s teams in pre-season, and they always speak highly about the calibre of athletes in those sides. At Netball NSW we are very much looking forward to working more closely with men’s netball to ensure this is another way the game can flourish.
“It is also part of our plan to rid community and elite sport of stereotypes and show that netball is a game for all, and build on its established strengths: our huge playing numbers at grassroots level in Australia, the 20 million playing around the world and the world-class pathways that have taken decades to build.
“With netball making a very justifiable claim for Olympic inclusion, today’s development is just a small way to help ensure our game remains flexible, open to change and pragmatic. This is what will ensure its continued presence at the top table of Australian sport.”
Men’s Netball NSW (MNNSW) was founded in 1985 and is an affiliated Association of Netball NSW. It currently operates the M League, the highest level of male competition in the state, with the best players selected annually for the Australian Championships in both Opens and Underage divisions.
MNNSW President Clare McCabe hailed the move by Netball NSW as a massive step in the right direction.
“Our future focus emphasises the need to create pathways for junior boys to play netball and remove all stigmas of boys and men playing the sport,” she said.
“Creating the male divisions at the State Titles will lead to a huge number of additional opportunities and exposure for the men’s game. It will also lead to more participants and a larger talent pool for those wishing to get involved in high-performance sport.
“In terms of Summer Series, partnering with the netball Associations and having them involved shows how serious we and Netball NSW are about further developing a strong platform for men in the game.”