Traineeships provided through the NSW Smart and Skilled vocational education and training (VET) system, will join apprenticeships in being fee free from 1 January 2020.
Employers are encouraged to take on more trainees following the announcement of a new $54.3 million NSW Government Budget initiative to make government-subsidised traineeships fee free.
Smart and Skilled provides eligible students with:
- an entitlement to government-subsidised training, up to and including Certificate III
- government funding for higher-level courses (Certificate IV and above) in targeted priority areas.
Traineeships are a proven pathway to well-paid jobs in a diverse range of careers. The NSW Government's investment in fee free traineeships will help get people into sustainable work and address the skills shortage.
Minister for Education and Early Childhood Learning Sarah Mitchell said a skilled workforce is one of the most important factors in delivering high-quality early childhood education.
“It’s encouraging that the most popular traineeships are in early childhood education with over 10,000 students since 2015 taking up a traineeship,” Ms Mitchell said.