NSW announces TAFE Centre of Excellence in the Hunter

The NSW Government has announced funding to establish the Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence at TAFE NSW’s Tighes Hill campus in Newcastle.

The federal and state governments are jointly investing more than $60 million over five years, beginning with $28.1 million from NSW, and a further $5.27 million in federal funding.

The government says it will accelerate the development of a Higher Apprenticeship model focused on the advanced skills required for net zero manufacturing. The upgraded centre aims to play a role in building up new skills for workers across the Hunter, enabling access to jobs in the Hunter–Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone, and delivering the skilled workforce required to support the renewable energy sector.

The Centre of Excellence will grow the workforce to support the renewable energy industry through technology-integrated learning, increasing access to training in regional and remote areas of northern NSW via mobile training units as well as establishing a National Renewable Energy Microskills Marketplace, enabling TAFEs across Australia to share and access renewable industry-related digital non-accredited courses.

It will also implement a higher apprenticeship model, integrating vocational education and training (VET) and higher education by combining critical trade skills like electrotechnology, welding and fabrication, with higher-level units in emerging areas such as digital technologies.

The Centre will also build on partnerships between TAFE NSW, universities and local industry to pilot qualification models that deliver a parity of status between VET and higher education.

This follows the September announcement of the Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence and is the second of three TAFE NSW Manufacturing Centres of Excellence, boosting skills training in advanced manufacturing and rebuilding onshore manufacturing capabilities.

Increasing the number of apprentices — particularly in trades such as electrotechnology, engineering, manufacturing and mechatronics — is vital to ensure NSW and Australia have the skills to transition mining, energy and manufacturing industries to a clean energy economy.

The federal government is also investing $325 million under the five-year National Skills Agreement, which began on 1 January, to establish a network of up to 20 TAFE Centres of Excellence in areas of high skills needs.

“Investing in a Future Made in Australia means investing in the skills and training industry will need in the years to come,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. “The Hunter has a proud history of industry and manufacturing — which is why this is the perfect place for this Centre of Excellence.”

“The Hunter region is a powerhouse for energy and manufacturing and we are proud to partner with the Albanese government to deliver this training centre so the local community and industry have the skills needed to benefit from the energy transition,” said NSW Premier Chris Minns. “This is part of our plan to deliver affordable reliable energy and drive down emissions.”

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