The 2020-21 NSW Budget will invest $2.5 million into developing a business case for a TAFE NSW Residential Aged Care Centre of Excellence training facility to put innovation and industry engagement front and centre of the sector.
The business case will assess the establishment of a residential aged care training facility on a TAFE campus to deliver skills training needed to help meet national demand for up to an additional one million aged care workers by 2050.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said the centre could be located in either a metropolitan or regional area, depending on opportunities across the State in aged care.
“Today’s announcement is about investigating the options around developing a new specialty aged care facility to deliver quality training to people who want to pursue this rewarding career. The funding committed to this business case will develop the best options on how to deliver such a training centre,” he said.
Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said the TAFE NSW Centres of Excellence are game-changers for education and training in NSW.
“These innovative Centres of Excellence will transform the established approach to education by breaking down sectoral divides between VET, higher education and industry to create seamless education pathways, and meet the skills needs of NSW,” Mr Lee said.
“The business case will investigate the development of a Centre of Excellence that will provide training in a range of aged care services, from clinical care to food preparation and wellbeing activities as well as build skills in areas highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including infection control, improved management and leadership skills.”
This investment will allow TAFE NSW to fast-track this initiative and kick off next steps including site selection and industry partnership processes.
The NSW Government will commit further support to aged care by delivering training places to skill people for opportunities in the industry, as part of the 2020-21 NSW Budget.
“An aging population brings work opportunities in the residential aged care sector with TAFE and private providers offering the intensive training needed to set people up for a rewarding career,” Mr Lee said.