A new Care and Support TAFE Centre of Excellence is to be established in Cairns. According to DEWR’s, website, “The Australian and Queensland governments are jointly investing $35 million to establish this Centre to “deliver critical higher-level skills training to grow and sustain Australia’s essential health care and support services. It will focus on exploring new pathways in nursing, First Nations peoples’ health, and health leadership.”
A joint ministerial press release notes that this new centre “will advance partnerships with care providers, universities (including the University of the Sunshine Coast and Griffith University), Jobs and Skills Councils, unions, and Queensland and national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island health councils.” It will also “ensure TAFE students receive the high-level skills training they need to succeed in the care and support workforce and respond to workforce challenges [and will] strengthen capability and capacity for the aged care, disability support and mental health care sector by:
- progressing new vocational pathways in health and health leadership to help grow and retain care and support workforces.
- increasing accessibility for regional, rural and remote students, by reducing the digital divide to support equitable access to training in the care and support sector, and
- supporting the acceleration of commitments to Closing the Gap by partnering with First Nations stakeholders to develop and deliver culturally appropriate and safe training pathways for First Nations students.”
As DEWR’s website points out, “the Centre will leverage Queensland TAFE’s state-wide footprint across rural and regional communities to address place-based workforce needs and respond to challenges in the health care and support industry.”
The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP, the federal Minister for Skills and Training noted in the joint press release that “the Centre will strengthen the VET system by providing high-quality and responsive skills training for our essential health care workforces”. “This will boost collaboration between universities and the VET sector. It will deliver the skills and knowledge our labour market requires and strengthen our resilience and our healthcare services, now and in the future.”
The Queensland Minister for Training and Skills Development Lance McCallum said of this new Centre of Excellence that:
“As Queensland grows, so does the demand for high-skilled Queenslanders serving on our health frontline.
“Health care and social assistance is Queensland’s fastest growing industry, set to employ more than 487,000 people by 2025-26 – with the majority of new jobs created outside our State capital.”
“To address demand and provide greater care for Queenslanders, the Queensland Government – in partnership with the Federal Government – is committed to providing more and stronger pathways into health care and support careers.”
