BY LAUREN FREEMANTLE
Enrolments across the Hunter’s TAFE locations are already on the rise, one month after free apprenticeship funding kicked in from the state government.
There’s been a 15% spike in student numbers in the Hunter and Central Coast compared to the same time last year.
It comes after Treasurer Dominic Perrotet announced a $285 million investment over six years to finance the fees of 100,000 NSW apprentices – funding which kicked in on July 1.
Parliamentary Secretary for the Hunter Scot MacDonald visited TAFE’S Maitland campus yesterday, saying there’s high demand for vocational workers.
“There’s a very good mood on campus,” he said,”numbers are up – a very clear message I got from the visit is that trades are in demand because of all the infrastructure, commercial and residential developments going up.”
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| Scot MacDonald meets TAFE staff and apprentices from the Painting program. |