REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS
PLAN
NEW SOUTH WALES – HUNTER
2012 – 2014
JULY 2013
This plan was first published in July 2012. This is the July 2013 edition.
Details in this report are correct at time of drafting.
This report can be found at the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage (www.deewr.gov.au/resj) or the
My Region website (www.myregion.gov.au).
For more information about this plan, please contact:
The Office of Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
GPO Box 9880
Canberra ACT 2601
Email: oresj@deewr.gov.au
ISBN:
978-0-642-78617-3 [PDF]
978-0-642-78618-0 [DOCX]
With the exception of the Commonwealth Coat of Arms and where otherwise noted all material presented in this
document is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/).
The details of the relevant licence conditions (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au/legalcode) are
available on the Creative Commons website (accessible using the links provided) as is the full legal code for the
CC BY 3.0 AU licence.
The document must be attributed as the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan 2012-14 – Hunter.
Disclaimer about data used in this plan
Data used in the development of this plan comes from a variety of sources and was correct at time of drafting. This
document should not be used as a data source as data referred to may have been updated or reformulated since
the publication of the plan. Refer to primary sources for confirmation of data.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 2
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
CONTENTS
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans ................................................................................ 4
Strategies .................................................................................................................................................. 4
Community engagement........................................................................................................................... 4
Implementation ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Executive summary ................................................................................................................ 5
Characteristics of the region ................................................................................................... 7
Population ................................................................................................................................................. 7
Early childhood education and care .......................................................................................................... 8
School education ....................................................................................................................................... 8
Tertiary education and training ................................................................................................................ 9
Jobs, skills and workforce development ................................................................................................. 10
Issues, goals and strategies ................................................................................................... 12
Issue 1
Closing the Gap in all areas for Indigenous Australians. ......................................................... 13
Issue 2 Availability of suitably qualified staff to work in early childhood education and child care
services within the region. ...................................................................................................................... 14
Issue 3
Some young people are disengaged from learning................................................................. 15
Issue 4 The region has a high proportion of the population with no post-schooling qualifications and
high levels of youth unemployment. ...................................................................................................... 16
Issue 5
The region is experiencing skills shortages in qualified trades areas. ..................................... 17
Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 18
Appendix A — Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 18
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies ............................................................................... 19
Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 21
REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS PLANS
The Australian Government announced the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative in the
2011–12 Budget, as part of the Building Australia’s Future Workforce package. The initiative addresses
four key areas of the Australian Government’s productivity and social inclusion agendas: early childhood
education and care; Year 12 attainment; participation in vocational and higher education; and local job
opportunities.
The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) has deployed 34 Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs (RESJ) Coordinators to work with local stakeholders to develop Regional
Education, Skills and Jobs Plans for the 46 Regional Development Australia (RDA) areas that cover nonmetropolitan Australia.
The plans present locally identified opportunities and challenges and outline local strategies to improve
education, skills and jobs outcomes in regional Australia.
For more information, including the contact details of your local RESJ Coordinator, please refer to the
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs webpage at www.deewr.gov.au/resj.
Strategies
Each plan reflects community priorities and includes goals and local strategies to achieve the
community’s objectives, based on four key themes: early childhood education and care; school
education; tertiary education and training; and jobs, skills and workforce development.
The plans build on the range of services and programs already offered by DEEWR and the strategies draw
on the programs of other government agencies and the opportunities arising from major local projects.
Community engagement
The plans were developed by RESJ Coordinators with close community engagement and include views
from young people, parents, employers, educators, service providers, peak bodies, community leaders,
government organisations and agencies, and other interested individuals and organisations. The plans
draw strongly upon existing strategic plans in each region, including the local RDA regional plan.
DEEWR acknowledges the traditional owners of the Hunter RDA region and their elders past and present
recognising their continuing connection to country. This plan strives to build and harness mutually
respectful relationships and reflect community priorities in education, skills and jobs development for
the region.
Implementation
The RESJ Coordinator, on behalf of DEEWR, will oversee the implementation of the strategies and
promote and coordinate linkages between the government agencies, providers and stakeholders
involved in this plan’s implementation.
Progress towards achieving the goals within each plan will be closely monitored, while stakeholders will
be kept informed through participation in plan strategies.
This edition incorporates strategies that respond to changes in local circumstances identified through
continuing community input or changing government priorities in regional Australia as well as access to
new data. The plans continue to be living and responsive documents that will be revisited throughout
their implementation to June 2014.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 4
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Hunter RDA region in New South Wales stretches from Lake Macquarie in the south to the Great
Lakes in the north to Muswellbrook in the west. The major centres and communities in the region are
serviced by 11 Local Government Areas: Lake Macquarie; Newcastle; Port Stephens; Great Lakes;
Gloucester; Maitland; Dungog; Cessnock; Singleton; Upper Hunter; and Muswellbrook.
A comprehensive environmental scan and community consultation have been carried out to identify the
key education, skills and jobs challenges for the region. The challenges include:

meeting the Closing the Gap targets in all areas for Indigenous Australians

the need to help the early childhood and child care sector adjust to changes in qualification
requirements and staff-to-children ratios to comply with the National Quality Framework for
Early Childhood Education and Care

an increase in the number of students remaining enrolled but who are disengaged from school
education

supporting the development of alternative education programs for students at risk of
disengaging from mainstream education systems

awareness of the range of initiatives available in the region that target the participation and
retention of young people to achieve Year 12 or equivalent qualifications

low proportion of the population with post-school education

high levels of youth unemployment indicate a possible disconnect between the transition from
schooling to training or employment

skills shortages in qualified trades areas.
The key goals of this RESJ Plan are to provide:

a skilled and qualified early childhood and education care workforce ready to respond to new
industry standards, with increased entry-level opportunities for job seekers wishing to enter the
early childhood sector

a regionally focused and coordinated response to increase engagement and opportunities for
young people, including the development of alternative learning programs, a well-informed
school community, growth in School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships and increased
participation in education and training

a coordinated response to developing training that meets industry needs and addresses regional
skills shortages

increased industry awareness of the programs and support available to improve take-up and
completion rates for apprenticeships to support industries with skills shortages in qualified
trades areas

opportunities for job seekers through the development of quality training projects linked to
employment opportunities.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 5
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
The region has an RDA Committee with a broad plan including education, skills and employment
opportunities. The RDA Committee aims to work with businesses and the community to adequately meet
skills shortages (which parallel actions to assist business development) and position the Hunter as a
quality place to live and work. The Hunter, excluding the Upper Hunter, is part of the Central CoastHunter priority employment area and has a Local Employment Coordinator (LEC) in place. The Hunter
RESJ Plan complements the existing goals and strategies in the RDA Plan and the LEC’s Regional
Employment Plan.
Some outcomes achieved by the RESJ Coordinator working with local stakeholders include:

Developing the Disability Employment Services (DES) ‘Get Skilled’ project to address workforce
shortages in the Aged Care Sector and increase employment opportunities for people with
disability. The Aged Care Sector workforce also includes workers employed in health and
community services, cleaning, hospitality, business and computing jobs. Working with Industry,
Hunter Institute of TAFE and DES Providers, the project aims to provide tailored training to
participants across all employment areas within the sector. Industry partners will provide work
placement throughout the project and offer suitable participants traineeships on completion of
the program. As at March 2013, 12 participants had commenced the program.

Delivering a series of presentations to a total of approximately 300 people, including the Central
Coast Apprenticeship and Traineeship Advisory Committee, on the suite of programs and
assistance available through the Australian Governments Skills Connect. As a result, there has
been an increase in the awareness of Australian Government Programs and various groups have
worked with the Industry Skills Councils to develop an Australian Government Skills Connect
project.
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE REGION
This section sets out the characteristics of the region identified through a comprehensive environmental
scan and local consultations. The information detailed in this section is not exhaustive of the
characteristics of the region, but provides an overview and insight to some of the challenges facing the
region.
To guide the RESJ Coordinator’s identification of issues and engagement with the community, various
data sets have supported the development of this plan. Data used in the development of this plan was
sourced from DEEWR, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and other relevant sources. Data referred to
may have been reformulated and was correct at time of drafting. Different data sets are refreshed at
different intervals, for example, unemployment rates are updated monthly for national and
state/territory figures and quarterly for regions.
Population
The Hunter RDA region had an estimated population of 643,108 people according to the 2011 Census.
According to RDA Hunter, the region’s population represents approximately 9 per cent of the New South
Wales population, and just under 3 per cent of Australia’s total population. According to 2006 Census
data the city of Newcastle is Australia’s seventh largest city and is home to the highest proportion of the
population for the region.
The Hunter RDA region is the traditional land of the Awabakal, Birpai, Woonarua and Worimi Aboriginal
nation groups. The Aboriginal people of the region are supported and serviced by seven local Aboriginal
land councils, including Awabakal, Bahtabah, Forster, Karuah, Mindaribba, Wanaruah and Worimi.
Census 2011 data reported that the Hunter’s Indigenous population was approximately 21,000 people. It
is anticipated by Aboriginal Affairs NSW that this number will grow to 25,100 by 2021; 12 per cent of the
resident Aboriginal population of New South Wales.
The Hunter RDA region has an ageing population. At the time of the 2011 Census the population aged
65 years or more in the region was 16.9 per cent and in New South Wales it was 14.5 per cent. The
ageing population presents opportunities and challenges for the region in the health and community
services sector providing opportunities for health professionals and semi-skilled workers to live and work
locally. The health and community services sector, according to DEEWR data, is the largest industry in the
region employing 13.1 per cent of the working population. The challenge for this sector’s growth in the
region will be attracting people to the available careers, retaining existing workers and matching quality
training to the immediate and long term needs of industry.
In a recent DEEWR survey of employers’ recruitment experiences for the Central Coast-Hunter priority
employment area, employers surveyed reported difficulties in recruiting registered and enrolled nurses,
cooks, and aged and disability support workers. Employers stated that the main reasons for deeming
applicants as unsuitable were insufficient experience and insufficient qualifications.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 7
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Early childhood education and care
The early childhood sector is serviced by multiple markets, including public, private for-profit and
community service providers. There are a broad range of services to meet the varied needs of children
and families, including family day care, long day care, occasional care and in-home care.
The region is serviced by 376 child care centres, 40 preschools and an early learning centre in Newcastle.
A Children and Family Centre is being developed in Toronto with expected completion by June 2014.
The Australian Early Development Index (AEDI) measures young children’s development across five
domains: physical health and well-being, social competence, emotional maturity, school-based language
and cognitive skills, and general knowledge. 2009 AEDI data indicated at a national level, 23.6 per cent of
children were vulnerable on one or more domain and 11.8 per cent were vulnerable on two or more
domains. The AEDI found that in the Hunter RDA region, the communities of Gloucester and Lake
Macquarie had the lowest proportions of vulnerable children for the region, less than the national rates
on both measures. However, the AEDI communities of Great Lakes, Muswellbrook and Singleton had the
highest proportions of vulnerable children—more than the national averages on both measures.
The Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) operates in the Hunter. HIPPY
supports parents and children in the year before formal education with pre-literacy and pre-numeracy
skills. Further support into the first year of formal schooling extends this support to focus on children’s
learning and development.
The Australian Government aims to improve quality and access outcomes for families and children
through the implementation of the National Early Childhood Development Strategy, National Partnership
Agreements and National Reform Agenda for Early Childhood. The region will face challenges as the
sector responds to changes to the qualification requirements and staff-to-children ratios as a result of
the new initiatives.
School education
Primary and secondary school education is delivered by a combination of state government schools,
Catholic schools, non-government independent schools, specialist schools and combined primary and
secondary schools. RDA Hunter falls within the footprint of the NSW Department of Education and
Communities Hunter/Central Coast educational region, however the boundaries are not directly aligned
and data relating to this educational region also includes the Central Coast. In the Hunter/Central Coast
region, there is a total of 299 government schools.
Trade training is an important element of the Australian Government’s workforce participation and
development agenda. It will help address national skills shortages in both traditional trades and
emerging industries by improving the relevance, accessibility and responsiveness of trade training
programs in eligible secondary schools. Trade Training Centres (TTCs) in Schools in the RDA Hunter
region is currently offered in nine schools. Round Five of the Program will be conducted in two phases
with ‘in-principle’ funding for successful projects in Phase One. Round Five of the TTC in Schools Program
is expected to be announced in 2013 and Phase Two expected to open in August 2013.
The TTCs in Schools Program provides opportunities for students to stay in school and either commence
on a pathway to employment in skill needs areas or, after completing school, continue further education
and/or training. It is important that TTCs have arrangements in place that maximise the opportunities for
young people to gain training and experience. This can be achieved by using TTCs holistically to benefit
the community by supporting School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SbATs) and by linking and
sharing with other schools, industry, TAFE and other registered training organisations. The region
benefits by having TTCs deliver vocational training in metals, engineering, commercial cookery,
hospitality, construction, agriculture and hairdressing.
2011 Census data indicates that 43.2 per cent of the Hunter population aged 15 years and over had
completed post-school qualifications compared to New South Wales average of 45.3 per cent. Newcastle
is the highest performing in relation to the proportion of those aged 25 to 34 years with Year 12 or
equivalent attainment while results for the Lower Hunter and Lake Macquarie West areas were lower
than the Australian average. This disparity highlights the need for specific strategies and place-based
initiatives to improve educational attainment for the region.
The region has several initiatives to support young people who have become disengaged from education.
They involve all levels of government, school principals, TAFE centres, Police Citizens Youth Clubs and
include programs such as School Business Community Partnership Brokers and Youth Connections. As a
result of such efforts, several alternative education pathway projects have been successfully
implemented, supporting young people who have disengaged from education by helping them to move
into further education, training and employment. An example of these projects include the Raymond
Terrace Alternative Learning Group project, which saw 11 disengaged young people undertake training
for a Certificate II in Community Services, with the possibility of transition to a combination of
employment, further training and return to schooling. Place-based working groups, increased community
partnerships and the development of new projects remain a priority to ensure that there is a range of
options to help young people to participate in education, training and employment.
Tertiary education and training
The Hunter RDA region is serviced by the University of Newcastle which has two campuses in the region;
Callaghan and City Precinct. The Callaghan campus offers people in the region a range of undergraduate
studies in areas of high need including engineering, health and education. The City Precinct campus is
home to the Newcastle Business School, the University of Newcastle Legal Centre and the Newcastle
Conservatorium of Music.
At the southern end of the region, in Cooranbong, Avondale College, a private institution, offers a range
of undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational courses in education, business, arts, nursing, science and
theology.
Distance students and residents of Great Lakes can travel to Taree to access the University of New
England’s Manning Valley Centre, which provides a staffed learning and access facility with computer
terminals, study rooms and videoconference facilities.
The Hunter Institute of TAFE has a good footprint across the region, delivering a wide range of vocational
subjects. The campuses are in Belmont, Cessnock, Glendale, Hamilton, Hunter Street, Kurri Kurri,
Maitland, Muswellbrook, Newcastle, Scone, Singleton and Tomaree.
The Great Lakes area is serviced by North Coast TAFE via sites in Forster-Tuncurry and Taree.
The campus locations within the region include a number of industry-specific specialist centres relevant
to the local labour market, including the Mining Skills Centre in Muswellbrook and the Hunter Valley
Hotel Academy in Kurri Kurri.
Participation in higher education and vocational education and training (VET) varies across the region.
Increases in participation can be seen between the 2006 and 2011 Census data across all qualification
levels including certificate, diploma, bachelor degree and post graduate studies. Around one in five (23%)
of the region’s working age population recorded their highest level of achievement at the certificate
level.
The region’s high participation in VET qualifications reflects the strong local VET sector, industry
partnerships and the local labour market conditions.
Despite the range of tertiary options available, the overall percentage of the working age population in
the region who have recorded a bachelor degree or higher as their highest level of educational
attainment is lower than the Australian average. While Newcastle’s average of 16 per cent is slightly
higher than the Australian average of 15 per cent, likely due to the university campus located in the
Newcastle area; beyond Newcastle the attainment rates are lower.
Jobs, skills and workforce development
The Hunter RDA region has a working age population (15-64 years) of 415,110.
At the regional level, the unemployment rate has continued to fall in line with state and national rates.
At a more local level, DEEWR Small Area Labour Markets data demonstrate the differences in
employment participation in the labour market across the region which has risen over the past 12
months. The Small Area Labour Markets data is collected from 15 Statistical Local Areas in the Hunter
region. As shown in Table 1, in September 2012 unemployment ranged from 2.2 per cent in Singleton to
6.5 per cent in Cessnock.
Table 1: Unemployment rate in the Hunter region, September 2012
Statistical Local Area
Unemployment rate (%)
Dungog (A)
2.7
Cessnock (C)
6.5
Gloucester (A)
4.9
Great Lakes (A)
8.2
Lake Macquarie (C) – East
4.5
Lake Macquarie (C) – North
3.5
Lake Macquarie (C) – West
5.3
Maitland (C)
4.4
Muswellbrook (A)
4.0
Newcastle (C) – Inner City
5.5
Newcastle (C) – Outer West
4.3
Newcastle (C) – Throsby
4.6
Port Stephens (A)
5.0
Singleton (A)
2.2
Upper Hunter Shire (A)
2.3
A=Areas C=Cities
Source: DEEWR Small Area Labour Markets data, September 2012
Historically, the Hunter region has demonstrated resilience and economic diversification in the face of
economic challenges. Despite the closure of the BHP Steelworks in 1999, the region has a strong labour
market with employment opportunities in a range of sectors including service industries, manufacturing
and defence materials, coal mining and power generation.
The region has 11 large coal mining operators producing 70 per cent of mined coal in NSW. Combined
with the Port of Newcastle, they provide direct employment for over 16,000 people.
The region has a significant utilities sector including the electricity, gas, water and waste service sectors.
This industry employs more than 5000 people across the region and continues to expand. With upgrades
to existing facilities, it is expected that operations will continue for another 20 years. The electricity
sector produces over 80 per cent of NSW electricity supplies. Strategic partnerships exist between
leading research facilities, including the CSIRO Energy Centre. This has placed the region in a position to
maximise opportunities available under Australia’s Clean Energy Future Package.
Employment figures show that retail, health and community services, manufacturing, accommodation
and food services are the largest employing industries for the region, employing a combined 130,000
people, approximately one-quarter of the working age population in the region. These essential service
sectors also provide entry-level positions, including traineeships and apprenticeships which are well
suited to job seekers across the region.
ISSUES, GOALS AND STRATEGIES
This section sets out the issues and goals identified through local consultation. It also details the specific
strategies that will help achieve the community’s objectives. The issues and strategies will be reviewed
and may be modified throughout the implementation of the plan to June 2014 to ensure they respond to
emerging issues and opportunities or changing community or government priorities in the Hunter RDA
region.
The programs and stakeholders listed in the following tables are indicative only. Both may vary over time
and any listing does not guarantee either the availability of program funding or stakeholder involvement.
The four key themes of the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plans initiative are:

Early childhood education and care

School education

Tertiary education and training

Jobs, skills and workforce development
The numbering of each issue is for ease of reference only and does not indicate its priority within the
region. They are generally sequenced according to the life cycle of the four key themes listed above.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 12
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 1
Closing the Gap in all areas for Indigenous Australians.
Goal:
Increased training and employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians within
the Hunter region.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills
and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs











Support Job Services Australia (JSA) and Disability
Employment Services (DES) providers to develop
and implement strategies that increase training and
employment opportunities for Indigenous
Australians.
In partnership with Hunter Institute of TAFE and JSA
providers, develop a range of projects to increase
the employability skills of Indigenous job seekers.
Help industry to implement Indigenous
Employment Program (IEP) strategies on upcoming
major projects by developing quality partnerships
with local JSA providers and registered training
organisations (RTOs).
Participate in and support the biannual ‘Indigenous
Jobs Markets’.
Support the Toronto Aboriginal Child and Family
Centre, including the local reference group, as
opportunities arise, throughout the development,
construction and delivery of services.





DES providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
IEP panel members
Industry
JSA providers
RTOs
Toronto Aboriginal
Child and Family
Centre
DES
IEP
JSA
Strategic Skills
Program
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 13
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 2
Availability of suitably qualified staff to work in early childhood
education and child care services within the region.
Goal:
A skilled and qualified early childhood and child care workforce ready to respond
to new industry standards.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills
and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs









Undertake a workforce planning survey of early
childhood facilities and services in the region by the
end of 2013 to identify skills gaps and develop
practical solutions to addressing the sector’s needs
through existing initiatives such as National
Workforce Development Fund (NWDF) and the
NSW Government’s industry support strategy ‘New
Skills: Quality Care’.
Utilising the results of this workforce planning
survey, facilitate a forum to deliver survey results to
the early childhood sector, build support for
workforce development strategies and develop
sustainable employment and training models for
the sector.
As part of the workforce planning survey and sector
forum, develop a register of child care providers
and services who are willing to support students
and job seekers wishing to undertake work
placement or work experience activities in the
sector and distribute this information to providers,
high schools and registered training organisations
(RTOs) who deliver children’s services
qualifications.
Promote Children’s Services Certificate III
traineeships to industries as a way of providing
entry-level employment opportunities to support
the changes to skills requirements in the sector.
Work with Job Services Australia (JSA) providers to
identify job seekers with child care qualifications
and develop projects to upskill, re-train or match
them to local child care services.
Participate in the Young Parents and Education
Focus Group in Cessnock to connect young parents
to quality child care and services and encourage
them to return to education or training.





Child care providers
Department of
Education and
Communities – State
Training Services
(NSW)
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
Hunter Valley Youth
Express
JSA providers
RTOs






Australian
Government Skills
Connect
DES
JSA
New Skills: Quality
Care
NWDF
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Strategic Skills
Program
Issue 3
Some young people are disengaged from learning.
Goals:
Continued development of alternative learning programs to support disengaged
students.
The school community is informed about the range of programs and initiatives in
place to support school students.
Increased school and industry partnerships to allow for growth in the Schoolbased Apprenticeships and Traineeships program.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs











With the support of the Transition Pathways
Committee, identify high schools with the highest
levels of socioeconomic disadvantage and high
numbers of students at risk of not completing their
Higher School Certificate.
Map existing services and programs being delivered
within identified schools by the end of 2013. Where
there are gaps, design pilot projects to connect
disadvantaged young people to support services
and programs. The types of pilot projects being
explored for development include engaging
targeted students with Jobs Services Australia (JSA)
providers as direct registrations in the Vulnerable
Youth (Student) category, with service delivery
occurring in schools to address the range of nonvocational barriers students face.
Assist youth service providers to develop and
deliver alternative education programs with
vocational components in skills shortage areas.
Partner with the Hunter Institute of TAFE to deliver
programs targeting disengaged school students,
including Participation Pathway Options that Work.
Support the implementation of the Hunter Central
Coast School-based Apprenticeships and
Traineeships (SbATs) Action Plan to increase schoolbased pathways and opportunities.
Work with all stakeholders to coordinate projects
targeting early school leavers.
Strengthen and support partnerships that deliver
opportunities for young people who have recently
finished school education through engagement
with career and transition teams.






Career Links
Department of
Education and
Communities – State
Training Services
(NSW)
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
Hunter Valley Youth
Express
JSA providers
Police–Citizens Youth
Clubs
Schools
Transition Pathways
Committee





JSA
Participation
Pathways Options
That Work
SbATs
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Strategic Skills
Program
Trade Training
Centres in Schools
Youth Connections
Issue 4
The region has a high proportion of the population with no
post-schooling qualifications and high levels of youth
unemployment.
This indicates a possible disconnect between the transition
from schooling to training or employment.
Goals:
Increased participation in education and training.
Quality partnerships are developed between training and industry.
Greater information sharing and awareness of training pathways and
opportunities for youth.
Bridging the disconnect for young people transitioning from school to
employment resulting in lower levels of youth unemployment.
Students and school communities are well informed about the local employment
opportunities, pathways and support services post schooling.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs









Support Regional Development Australia (RDA)
Hunter’s strategic priority to implement and expand
the Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering
program.
Participate in Great Lakes education and skills
forums, bringing stakeholders together to improve
access and opportunities for education and training.
In partnership with Hunter Institute of TAFE,
identify employment opportunities and develop
quality training projects designed for job seekers,
targeting industries experiencing growth and
specific client groups.
When designing these projects, acknowledge the
range of vocational and non-vocational barriers
facing job seekers and include support measures to
address them including transport; mentoring; work
placement; flexible delivery; embedded language,
literacy and numeracy skills; and strong industry
partnerships—increasing the likelihood that the job
seeker will gain employment on completion.
Support higher education and VET providers to
develop partnerships with schools in low
socio-economic status areas so they can develop
activities through the Higher Education
Participation and Partnerships Program.
Work with education and training providers to
promote, encourage and support them in applying
for infrastructure funding programs, including the
Education Investment Fund, to develop proposals
that meet regional priorities and improve quality
and access to training, with particular focus on
alternative education facilities.






Department of
Education and
Communities – State
Training Services
(NSW)
Disability Employment
Service (DES)
providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
Mid Coast Connect
RDA Hunter
Schools







DES
Education Investment
Fund
Higher Education
Participation and
Partnerships Program
JSA
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
School-based
Apprenticeships and
Traineeships
Strategic Skills
Program
TTCs in Schools
Youth Connections
Issue 5
The region is experiencing skills shortages in qualified trades
areas.
Goal:
A coordinated response to supporting jobs growth.
Increased opportunities for local job seekers on major infrastructure projects.
Improved take-up and completion rates for apprenticeships supporting industries
with skills shortages in qualified trades areas.
Increased industry awareness of the programs and support available to establish
entry-level positions accessible by job seekers.
Theme(s):
Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs










Support the Hunter Regional Development Australia
(RDA) Committee to achieve their vision, objectives
and priorities from the Hunter Regional Plan 2012–
2022 within the education, skills and jobs portfolios.
Support and partner with key stakeholders to
develop innovative programs, including alternative
education facilities for the delivery of skills and
employment for young people in skills shortage
areas.
Promote and establish partnerships between
industry and training providers to develop projects
that address skills shortages by accessing the
Accelerated Australian Apprenticeships initiative.
Provide support to industry and industry groups
with entry-level employment opportunities for job
seekers by coordinating projects that involve all Job
Services Australia (JSA) and Disability Employment
Service (DES) providers and industry-matched skill
sets.
Promote initiatives and funding opportunities,
including the National Workforce Development
Fund, to industry and facilitate project partnerships
to access funding opportunities.
Participate in meetings of the Hunter Building
Australia’s Future Workforce Advisory Committee
of the Local Employment Coordinator and provide
updates on activities and outcomes against this
Plan.
Participate in the NSW Department of Education
and Communities (DEC) - State Training Services
Upper Hunter and Lower Hunter industry networks
to connect with industry and provide updates on
opportunities and Australian Government Skills
Connect initiatives that support skills and workforce
development.
Explore opportunities for a project aimed at
engaging women to go into careers in nontraditional trade areas and programs for young
people from non-English speaking backgrounds.








Building Australia’s
Future Workforce
Advisory Committee
DEC, State Training
Services – industry
networks (NSW)
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
DES providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
JSA providers
Local Employment
Coordinator
RDA Hunter
Registered training
organisations





Accelerated
Australian
Apprenticeships
Australian
Government Skills
Connect
Communities for
Children
DES
JSA
Strategic Skills
Program
APPENDICES
Appendix A — Stakeholders
Below is a list of organisations consulted during the development of this RESJ Plan, listed by sector.
Sector
Stakeholder
State government
Department of Education and Communities; Department of Trade and
Investment; Department of Premier and Cabinet.
Education
Transition Pathways Committee; Department of Education and Communities;
VET in Schools; Alternative learning groups.
Vocational Education and
Hunter Institute of TAFE; State Training Services (Department of Education and
Training
Communities).
Higher education
University of Newcastle - Central Coast campus.
Youth
Hunter Valley Youth Express; Career Links; Joblink.
Employment
Local Employment Coordinator; Building Australia’s Future Workforce Advisory
Committee; Jobs Services Australia providers; Disability Employment Service
providers.
Regional development
Regional Development Australia Hunter.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 18
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies
This section includes some of the related strategic plans in the region which have:

influenced the direction of this RESJ Plan

have complementary goals and strategies and/or

have significance in the region in relation to education, skills and jobs.
It provides an overview of how each strategy or plan has had an impact on this RESJ Plan and how it may
be utilised to maximise outcomes.
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Regional Development Australia
(RDA) Hunter Regional Plan 2012–
2022
The RDA Hunter Regional Plan has
shared priorities with the Hunter
RESJ Plan including;
 comprehensive and cohesive
long-term planning
 investment in education, skills
and workforce development
 building knowledge, skills and
innovation capabilities in the
Hunter region.
The RDA Plan highlights
opportunities, challenges and
significant regional projects that
are supported by the RESJ Plan. It
is based on wide community
consultation and is representative
of community priorities.
NSW 2021
NSW 2021 is a 10 year plan to
rebuild the NSW economy
targeting health, transport, family
and community services,
education, police and justice.
The goals in the RESJ Plan are
aligned with the education, skills
and jobs priority actions of NSW
2021.
National Resource Sector
Workforce Strategy
The relevant recommendations
from the National Resource Sector
Employment Taskforce include:
 increase the number of trade
professionals
 strengthen workforce
participation
 forge stronger ties between
industry and education.
Connecting job seekers and out of
trade apprentices to opportunities
in the resource sector, including
connecting to employers and
relevant training organisations.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 19
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Priority Employment Area initiative
– Central Coast-Hunter Regional
Employment Plan
The Local Employment
Coordinator’s (LEC) Regional
Employment Plan analyses the
Hunter region and outlines
strategies to drive local solutions
to labour market needs, focusing
on disadvantaged Australians. This
plan shares the following goals:
 support employment,
workforce participation and
skills development including
through maximising
Government investments
 facilitate employment and
training opportunities for
jobseekers, including
disadvantaged groups, with a
focus on industries
experiencing skills shortages
 grow social enterprise and
social procurement to provide
employment opportunities for,
and re-engage, disadvantaged
job seekers.
The RESJ Plan complements the
work of the LEC in addressing
education, skills and jobs issues in
the region.
Hunter Regional Action Plan (RAP)
The Hunter RAP identifies
improving local employment,
education and investment
opportunities in the region.
This RESJ Plan’s goals are
complementary to this Plan.
ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Full Term
AEDI
Australian Early Development Index
DEC
Department of Education and Communities (NSW)
DEEWR
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
DES
Disability Employment Services
HIPPY
Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters
IEP
Indigenous Employment Program
JSA
Job Services Australia
LEC
Local Employment Coordinator
NWDF
National Workforce Development Fund
RAP
Regional Action Plan
RDA
Regional Development Australia
RESJ
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
RTO
Registered training organisations
SbATs
School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
TTC
Trade Training Centre
VET
Vocational education and training
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Hunter 21
www.deewr.gov.au/resj