The New South Wales Government has announced that the NSW Public Sector Apprentices and Trainees Program is now open to applications, as part of its commitment to combat the skilled worker shortage by employing 1,000 extra apprentices.
The $93.5 million investment, committed during the state election, will provide an opportunity for up to 1,000 apprentices and trainees to join more than 30 government agencies and state-owned corporations.
The State Government has said that it understands how important a strong vocational education system is for skills and training in New South Wales.
With broad skills shortages across the state, the State Government has said that apprentices and traineeships provide a unique mix of on-the-job training with formal study that makes them vital additions to the future New South Wales workforce.
Under this program specific industries which have significant skills shortages, including in transport, electricity, water, IT, and cyber security will be targeted.
Over three years of training, until June 2026, successful applicants will be able to:
- Earn and learn on the job
- Have access to excellent career opportunities and industry experience
- Gain support from highly experienced and skilled industry professionals
- Build hands-on, practical experience
- Earn nationally recognised qualifications
There are more than 50 qualifications available in the program with more than half of the roles based regionally.
New South Wales Premier, Chris Minns, said that the State Government is committed to giving more young people opportunities to learn new skills, to get good paying jobs and to begin to fill the skills shortage.
“Prior to the election we committed to addressing the shortage of skilled workers in New South Wales,” Mr Minns said.
“We are proud to be delivering on a major election commitment by increasing the skilled workforce in the state by 1,000 and we won’t just train them, we’ll hire them too.”
New South Wales Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Jihad Dib said that a job in the Department of Customer Service (DCS) can be incredibly rewarding, supporting the people of New South Wales with important frontline and digital services through leading Government agencies like Service NSW.
“Service NSW personnel do a great job for the people of New South Wales and I encourage those interested to apply for these opportunities and do an apprenticeship or traineeship with Service NSW or any of the State Government agencies involved,” Mr Dib said.
“Service NSW is the one-stop-shop for government services and these new roles will open the door to career pathways, giving candidates vital workplace experience and employment opportunities in an organisation that is making services more accessible to everyone.”
New South Wales Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education, Steve Whan, said that the State Government is directly tackling the skills shortage by investing in and training the next generation of workers to build a highly skilled and resilient workforce.
“We’re not just plugging gaps; we’re launching careers. If you’re a recent high school graduate or an adventurer seeking a new path, you should seize this opportunity and make the most of it,” Mr Whan said.
“Today’s investment in apprentices and trainees is tomorrow’s investment in a thriving New South Wales economy. Apprentices and trainees will gain on-the-job work experience and emerge with a nationally recognised qualification that will absolutely broaden their career opportunities.
The program will also position the New South Wales public sector as a leader in the employment of apprentices and trainees as we build capacity within our own agencies.”