REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS
PLAN
NEW SOUTH WALES – FAR SOUTH COAST
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:
978-0-642-78615-9 [PDF]
978-0-642-78616-6 [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 – Far South Coast.
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 – Far South Coast 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 ................................................................................................... 8
Population ................................................................................................................................................. 8
Early childhood education and care .......................................................................................................... 9
School education ..................................................................................................................................... 10
Tertiary education and training .............................................................................................................. 13
Jobs, skills and workforce development ................................................................................................. 14
Issues, goals and strategies ................................................................................................... 16
Issue 1 Early childhood services in the region face immediate and long-term challenges in up-skilling
their workforce. ...................................................................................................................................... 17
Issue 2 Proportion of students disengaging from education without Year 12 or equivalent
attainment............................................................................................................................................... 19
Issue 3
Awareness of local options/pathways to higher and tertiary education. ............................... 22
Issue 4 Challenging labour market with high youth and Indigenous unemployment, skill shortage
areas and an ageing workforce. .............................................................................................................. 23
Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 25
Appendix A — Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 25
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies ............................................................................... 26
Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 28
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 Far South Coast 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 – Far South Coast 4
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Far South Coast was historically an agricultural region. This tradition persists today with many goods
being successfully exported around the world, including dairy products and abalone. The region also
produces timber, beef and wine. Around 400 kilometres of scenic coast and extensive areas of national
and state parks contribute to the Far South Coast’s renown as a popular tourist destination. According to
Regional Development Australia, more than four million visitors travel to the region each year. The
region is made up of a number of communities covered by three Local Government Areas: Shoalhaven,
Eurobodalla and Bega Valley.
Based on a comprehensive environmental scan and community consultation, the key education, skills
and jobs challenges identified for the region include:
 the requirements of the national quality reforms in early childhood education and care
 the proportion of young people disengaging from education without Year 12 or equivalent
attainment
 awareness of the local options and pathways to higher and tertiary education
 a challenging labour market with high youth and Indigenous unemployment, skill shortages and
an ageing workforce.
The key goals of the Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan are as follows:

early childhood education and care providers are supported and have strategies in place to meet
immediate and longer term workforce development needs

flexible education pathways are implemented to align early childhood education and care
workforce with immediate and future employment needs

schools and the community are informed of programs and initiatives to support at-risk young
people, including alternative learning pathways and school-based apprenticeships and
traineeships

schools and the community are informed about the options and pathways to higher and tertiary
education

increase opportunities and access to training and employment to meet current and future skills
needs in the region.
The Far South Coast region has a RDA Committee with a broad plan that includes opportunities for
education, skills and employment. The Northern half of the Far South Coast region is part of the Illawarra
priority employment area, which has a Local Employment Coordinator (LEC) in place. The Far South Coast
RESJ Plan complements the existing goals and strategies in the RDA Plan and the LEC’s Regional
Employment Plan.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far South Coast 5
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Some outcomes achieved by the RESJ Coordinator working with local stakeholders include:

Partnering with NSW State Training Services, University of Wollongong, Eurobodalla Adult
Education Inc and RDA Far South Coast to develop Career Pathways to Health. The project,
funded through NSW State Training Services Pathways for School Leavers program, provides
support and mentoring to 12 young school leavers who are underemployed or unemployed in
the Eurobodalla to complete a partial Certificate III and full Certificate IV in Aged Care, and a
University of Wollongong bridging course to gain a guaranteed place studying nursing at
University of Wollongong Batemans Bay Campus in 2014.

Partnering with the Eurobodalla Shire Council and South Coast Workplace Learning Partnership
Brokers to develop a successful application for funding through NSW Office of Communities
Youth Opportunities program. The funding will support a project involving a group of people
aged 17-24 and suitable mentors to design, develop and manage a social media platform that
better connects youth in the region with their community. Participants will also gain an
accredited unit in a range of business and technology subject areas as a pathway to further study
and develop the technology to bring the concept to life. The project is being delivered by the
Eurobodalla Shire Council and as at March 2013, seven young people and six mentors were
engaged in the project.

Contributing to the development of a National Workforce Development Fund Project with
Shoalhaven City Council, Australian College of Higher Studies and Services Industry Skills Council
to up skill caravan park managers in sustainability practices, improve environmental practices
and increase business development skills. As at March 2013, six caravan park managers were
undertaking training.

Coordinating an early childhood education and care roundtable with 55 attendees in the
Shoalhaven in June 2012 and facilitating a group of stakeholders to implement identified
priorities. The group, called the Shoalhaven Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) Alliance,
has:

Conducted an online survey to identify the training and employment needs of
Shoalhaven ECEC providers. Sixty-two per cent responded and the data shows the huge
opportunities for training and professional development in the region.

Created a Facebook page to encourage Shoalhaven ECEC providers to communicate,
share good news stories and information.

Piloted GOVDEX, an online social media forum to share information from DEEWR and for
early childhood education and care providers to ask questions and communicate with
each other.

Collaborating with Regional Development Australia ACT, Southern Inland and Far South Coast to
successfully gain funding in January 2013 for the South East Region of Renewable Energy
Excellence (SERREE). SERREE, utilising the Skills for the Carbon Challenge funding from the
Department of Innovation, Industry, Science, Climate Change, Research and Tertiary Education,
will map the capability of the region's renewable energy sector to explore opportunities to bring
training, skills and jobs in this sector to the region. As a member of the SERREE Project Steering
Committee, the RESJ Coordinator will continue to work with partners to constructively develop
projects which add value and lead to training and jobs in the Renewable Energy Sector in the
region.

Contributed to the coordination and implementation of the Eurobodalla Early Childhood
Educators and Service Providers Forum in February 2013 to support Early Childhood services to
access services for the children in their care and their families. The forum was a great success
with 84 attendees and lots of positive feedback from Preschools and Early Childhood Directors
around increased understanding and new contacts for referring children and their families for
support.
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
According to the 2011 Census, the estimated population of the region was 166,532, more than half of
whom lived in the Shoalhaven Local Government Area(96,043).
The traditional owners of the land are the Yuin people and the Tharawal people (also known as
Dharawal). At the 2011 Census, 4.6 per cent of the population identified as being of Indigenous origin,
which was above the New South Wales and national average of 2.5 per cent. Within the region the
Indigenous population varies with 2.9 per cent in the Bega Valley, 4.7 per cent in the Shoalhaven and
5.1 per cent in the Eurobodalla. Data from the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs in 2009 predicted
the Aboriginal population of the greater area of South-East New South Wales, which includes
Eurobodalla and Bega Valley, will increase approximately 35 per cent by 2021. In the Illawarra region,
which includes the Shoalhaven, it is predicted to increase approximately 50 per cent by 2021.
At the 2011 Census, 19 per cent of the population in the region were born overseas (or origin not
stated), well below the national average of 31 per cent and the New South Wales average of 32 per cent.
The NSW Department of Planning (2006 and 2010) estimates that the population of the Far South Coast
has doubled over the past 25 years and will increase by an additional 55,900 people by 2036. This figure
takes into account the young people who will leave the region to pursue higher education or
employment as well as those retiring or moving into the region.
The Far South Coast region has an ageing population with 2011 Census data showing the median age of
residents as approximately 50 years in the Eurobodalla, 38 years in the Bega Valley and 46 years in
Shoalhaven. The median age for Indigenous people, however, was much lower at approximately 21 years
in the Eurobodalla, 18 years in the Bega Valley and 20 years in the Shoalhaven.
The ageing population will place pressure on the region but also provides opportunities to develop a
skilled and job ready workforce in areas such as aged care facilities, recreation, shopping, health and
medical services. There are also opportunities to use the growing number of experienced and qualified
people as mentors, advisers and volunteers to meet some of the challenges in the region. The high and
increasing number of young Indigenous people in the region also presents opportunities to develop a
workforce to meet the needs of this changing demographic.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far South Coast 8
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Early childhood education and care
The early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector covers public, private and community-based
service providers and includes preschools, occasional care, family day care, long day care and outside
school hours care services. In 2011, there were approximately 8690 children aged 0–4 years on the
Far South Coast (NSW Department of Planning, 2010).
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 Far South Coast RDA region, the three communities of Bega Valley,
Eurobodalla, and Shoalhaven had proportions of vulnerable children very similar to the national rates on
both measures. However, the proportions of vulnerable children were higher than the national averages
when considered on two or more domains in each of the communities.
As part of the National Reform Agenda for Early Childhood, the Australian Government has committed to
achieving universal access to early childhood education for all children in the year before school. Under
the National Quality Framework, ECEC providers must meet requirements such as employee
qualifications, educator-to-child ratios and other key staffing arrangements phased in between 2012 and
2020.
Many ECEC providers in the region face a range of immediate and long-term challenges in the
implementation of the reforms and vary in their capacity, preparedness and planning. Their financial and
operational capacity, the complexity of communities they work in and the challenges they face are
diverse. Some providers are geographically isolated and do not have established networks with other
providers to share information and support. There are many ECEC employees who have extensive
experience in the industry, but who have no formal qualifications. The New South Wales Government
(State Training Services, NSW) estimates that 5800 New South Wales child care workers will require
upskilling to implement improvements in the quality of early childhood education and care. To meet
these challenges, there is a need for flexible delivery of training and assessment, available pathways and
options to access training, and ongoing and sometimes intensive assistance for services with vulnerable
children. To help meet these challenges, an ECEC Roundtable to develop innovative strategies to meet
workforce challenges and raise understanding of current workforce challenges and opportunities was
held in the Shoalhaven in 2012 and another will be held in Bega in 2013. The Shoalhaven ECEC Alliance
was formed out of the forum and is driving the strategies and projects on a regional level.
In 2012, the Australian Government announced $31 million in funding through the Education Investment
Fund for the Early Start Facility at the campus of the University of Wollongong. The strategic teaching,
research and community engagement initiative will deliver a new generation of graduates across
disciplines to work with young children aged from 0-12 and with their families. The initiative will connect
38 initial Early Start Engagement Centres across New South Wales. These centres will offer the
opportunity to deliver innovative teaching programs; encourage multidisciplinary research and capacity
build communities (including Indigenous) through targeted parental and family engagement. It will host
Australia’s first Children’s Discovery Centre, an accessible facility for families with young children to
engage in innovative learning-through-play activities and events. The three-level building facility is due to
open in 2015.
There is a Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters (HIPPY) site operating in Nowra in the
Shoalhaven. 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 has committed over $100
million to HIPPY to support ongoing program delivery in 50 mainstream locations and expand the
program to an additional 50 locations, with an emphasis on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities. DEEWR is expanding this program to 50 new communities, with an emphasis on Aboriginal
and Torres Strait Islander communities. Twenty-five new locations will start program delivery in 2014
with the remaining 25 new locations starting in 2015. Expressions of interest were sort in early 2013
from communities interested in the program.
Nowra is also one of nine locations inNew South Wales identified by the Australian Government for the
establishment and operation of an integrated Aboriginal Child and Family Centre. The centre will provide
integrated services responsive to community needs, including child care, early learning and parent and
family support services.
School education
The region offers ten Government high schools, 46 Government primary schools, three non-Government
high schools, six non-Government primary schools and six schools offering education through years
Kindergarten to Year 12. High schools offer vocational education and training courses, and schools also
access TAFE-delivered technical and vocational education and training (TVET) courses. There are distance
education courses available to some school students, including through the Open Training and Education
Network and Karabah Distance Education Centre. There are challenges for students in studying by
distance education, which requires computer-based learning, less supervision and high levels of
motivation.
The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) is an annual assessment
completed by every student in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9. Any student at or above the minimum standard has
achieved the basic skills of literacy and numeracy for that year and has the required skills to fully
participate in schooling. Table 1 provides further detail for the Illawarra and South-East region for 2011.
Table 1: NSW and Illawarra and South East students at, or above, the NAPLAN minimum
standard in 2011 (%)
Year 3
Year 5
Year 7
Year 9
NSW average Reading
95.4
91.2
95.1
91.3
Illawarra and South East NSW Reading
95.7
94.4
94.0
90.9
NSW average Numeracy
96.5
95.0
94.5
92.9
Illawarra and South East NSW Numeracy
96.7
95.5
94.6
93.0
Source: NSW Department of Education and Communities, NAPLAN, 2011.
The results indicate that students in the Far South Coast are generally performing in line with
New South Wales. It must be re-iterated, however, that an exact regional mapping of the Far South Coast
RDA region is not available.
The Focus School Next Steps initiative is an Australian Government commitment of $30 million over two
years beginning 2012 to directly assist 101 specially selected schools across Australia to improve the
attendance and literacy and numeracy results of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. This
investment has provided extra assistance to kick start the implementation of success factors aimed at
lifting the attendance, engagement and educational achievement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
students. The initiative is being delivered in Batemans Bay Public School and Bermagui Public School in
the region.
As part of the National Partnership Agreement for Youth Attainment and Transitions, the Council of
Australian Governments has set a target of 90 per cent Year 12 or equivalent attainment by 2015. As at
the 2011 Census, approximately 49 per cent of 20-24 year olds in the Lower South Coast had attained
Year 12 or equivalent qualifications. The attainment rate continues to be a challenge in the region, where
a range of factors reduce young people’s capacity to engage effectively in education. Those factors can
include drug and alcohol issues, mental health issues, contact with juvenile justice system, transport
problems, pressure to contribute financially to the family unit, low literacy and numeracy, low selfesteem and family discord. In some areas, some young people are part of families with generations of
low educational participation, engagement and attainment. These barriers mean that young people
often find it difficult to maintain connection with education.
A number of service providers and schools in the Far South Coast RDA region are implementing
innovative programs and alternative learning pathways, particularly for disadvantaged and disengaged
young people, for example the Eurobodalla Partners in Industry and Education Program. These can
include a mixture of accredited courses, work experience and school-based learning and support. Youth
Connections providers identify young people who are disengaging or have disengaged and support them
to transition back into education. School Business Community Partnership Brokers bring stakeholders
together to increase Year 12 or equivalent attainment. TAFE Illawarra also delivers alternative programs
for high school students in locally customised vocational education and training (VET) programs across
trade and non trade areas as well as the Towards Employment program with Ostara for disengaged or at
risk youth with mental health disability.
There are opportunities to strengthen ties with NSW Department of Education and Communities(DEC)
schools, communities and service providers to link, share and extend what is working in the region,
celebrate best practice and coordinate common goals and a shared vision. With a coordinated approach,
strong support from the school and the participation of the community, school engagement or
alternative learning projects are much more likely to be successful.
Several community-driven partnerships look holistically at the life cycle of education to training to
employment and bring together key stakeholders to address local education challenges and explore
opportunities, including the:
 Community Training Partnership (Bega Valley and Eurobodalla)
 Moruya School and Family Partnership Mentor Program (Eurobodalla)
 Eurobodalla Education and Employment Reference Group (Eurobodalla)
 Learning 4 Life Group and Shoalhaven Student Support Group (Shoalhaven).
There are also opportunities to develop school and community partnerships where they do not currently
exist. Community consultation recognises the importance of education and employment working
together to create sustainable and meaningful employment. Developing local people to meet the
immediate and longer term employment needs of the region is a key aspect of this plan.
The most commonly accessed multiple learning pathways for students are through VET, TVET and
School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SbATs). VET and TVET courses are available in schools
across the Far South Coast, with the available subjects varying between schools. Vocationally inclined
students who may have once left school after Year 10 are now required to remain in education until the
age of 17, which increases the participation rate of students in VET and TVET in schools.
At June 2012, NSW DEC reported 270 SbATs in the larger area of the Illawarra and South-East New South
Wales. SbATs are becoming increasingly popular, and there are opportunities to increase awareness,
take-up and completion. Community consultations revealed that young people often have a desire to
commence in SbATs, but lack awareness of the process, find the process too complex or are unable to
find a suitable employer. There is also a lack of awareness among parents about SbAT options for their
children as well as a lack of awareness among employers about the existence, opportunities and
processes involved. For young people who do commence, transport to places of employment and
training and flexibility in accessing training are a challenge to completion. The majority of businesses in
the region are small and SbATs could be financially and operationally more appealing for employers than
taking on a full-time apprentice.
In August 2012, the NSW DEC officially launched the Bright Future Campaign aimed at supporting and
promoting Structured Workplace Learning and SbATs to employers around New South Wales. The
campaign is working to address any concerns or misconceptions that businesses might have about taking
on a SbAT or Work Placement student and showcasing the benefits for industry, employers, and
students. The target is to encourage an extra 2000 employers to get involved and hire SbATs or host
Work Placement students.
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. There are five Trade Training Centres (TTCs) in Schools projects
on the Far South Coast including Nowra, Shoalhaven, St John the Evangelist, Vincentia and Bega
Valley/Eden Marine. 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 SbATs and by linking and sharing with other schools, industry, TAFE Illawarra and other
registered training organisations (RTO).
Vincentia High School was recently invited to take part in the Indigenous Ranger Cadetship (IRC) pilot. It
is one of 12 regional and remote schools from across Australia to receive funding of up to $500,000 to
participate in the pilot. The IRC pilot is part of the Australian Government’s commitment to Building
Australia’s Future Workforce and aims to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people
complete school and encourage further study, training, jobs and careers in land, sea and natural resource
management. The pilot will provide culturally relevant school-based learning, develop industry
appropriate skills for employment and assist in closing the gap between Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander students and all students Year 12 attainment rates by 2020.
Tertiary education and training
The University of Wollongong has a campus in each of the region’s Local Government Areas (Shoalhaven,
Batemans Bay and Bega). The regional campuses offer a range of undergraduate and postgraduate
courses, including arts, commerce, aquaculture, nursing, primary and secondary education, and health
and behavioural science. TAFE Illawarra is the largest provider of vocational education and training in
southern New South Wales, with four campuses on the South Coast (Bega, Moruya, Nowra and Ulladulla)
as well as a satellite campus in Batemans Bay. Courses offered include training in engineering,
construction, automotive trades, hospitality, tourism, information technology, aged care and early
childhood education and care.
Partnerships have been developed between TAFE Illawarra and universities providing integrated
delivery, bridging programs and stronger articulation arrangements to improve pathways and access to
higher education for regional communities. The region also has a number of RTOs that deliver accredited
training courses, including training groups, professional colleges, community colleges, and disability and
employment service providers.
The 2011 Census data shows that the proportion of the population aged 15 years and over with a postschool qualification was 42 per cent, slightly below both the New South Wales and national proportion
with the majority of being at certificate level.
There are various challenges to higher education attainment in the region. Some young people are
unaware of how to reengage in education after leaving school without an Australian Tertiary Admission
Rank. There is also a belief in the region that a university education can only be achieved by leaving the
region, with many young people moving elsewhere to pursue tertiary education opportunities. Other
barriers which affect higher education attainment in the region include course availability, lack of
aspiration for further learning and the costs involved in accessing educational opportunities.
The Australian Government target is that 40 per cent of 25–34 year olds will hold a bachelor degree or
higher by 2025 and that by 2020, 20 per cent of university domestic undergraduate enrolments will
originate from low socio-economic status backgrounds. Universities are implementing strategies to
achieve this through programs such as the University of Wollongong’s IN2UNI, the Australian National
University’s Regional Pathways Program and the University of Canberra’s UCANREACH, which aim to
raise the aspirations of young people and develop pathways to university.
In August 2012, the Federal Government announced funding to theAustralian Indigenous Mentoring
Experience (AIME) to expand its outreach program to the NSW South Coast for 120-180 participants per
year for three years. AIME provides a dynamic educational program that gives Indigenous high school
students the skills, opportunities, belief and confidence to finish school at the same rate as their peers.
AIME has proven to dramatically improve the chances of Indigenous children finishing school. AIME also
connects students with post Year 12 opportunities, including further education and employment. The
AIME places are to be implemented across three University of Wollongong South Coast regional
campuses. Indigenous students in Years 9-12 from the Shoalhaven down to Eden will have the
opportunity to participate. The outreach AIME model will deliver structured mentoring between
volunteer university students and Indigenous high school students, through a series of tailored
workshops and one-on-one mentoring sessions held on university campuses. The program also connects
students with opportunities in further education and employment for when they finish Year 12.
In January 2012, NSW State Training Services stated there were approximately 4000 apprenticeships and
existing worker and new entrant traineeships on the Far South Coast. Across the nation, the completion
rate for Australian Apprenticeships is approximately 48 per cent and local feedback indicates that there
are similar completion rates in the region. A number of new national programs through the Australian
Government Skills Connect aim to increase the apprenticeship completion rate, including the Australian
Apprenticeship Mentoring package and Accelerated Australian Apprenticeships. There are also three
Australian Apprenticeship Centres providing a one-stop shop for those seeking to take up an
apprenticeship or traineeship as a career pathway.
Jobs, skills and workforce development
In September 2012, DEEWR Small Area Labour Market data showed the unemployment rate for the
Far South Coast was 6.7 per cent, an increase of 0.4 per cent on the previous year and above the national
unemployment rate of 5.4 per cent and New South Wales of 5.2 per cent. The region is quite diverse and
unemployment rates varied throughout with 4.5 per cent in Bega Valley, 6.2 per cent in Eurobodalla and
7.9 per cent in the Shoalhaven.
At the 2011 Census, health care and social assistance was the largest employer of Far South Coast
residents (13.9 %). Employment growth in this sector mirrors the ageing population. Retail trade is the
second largest employer (13.1%) followed by construction (9.4%). Each of these industries employs a
higher proportion of the population than the national and New South Wales averages. It is important to
note that a significant number of businesses are small and medium sized, which adds financial and/or
operational challenges to taking on work experience placements, SbATs, apprentices or trainees and
employees. Community consultation reveals that the Far South Coast has a diverse range of job seekers,
some of whom are in the fourth generation of unemployment in their families. These people are often
dealing with a complex range of social, cultural and intergenerational issues. Job seekers face reduced
employment opportunities and significant transport challenges, especially in outlying areas. Flexible,
tailored and innovative projects delivered in the region have been effective in supporting the long-term
unemployed and disengaged job seekers to transition into training and employment. There are
opportunities to create, replicate and extend successful project models to meet these needs. This could
include assisting some people who have not been able to secure jobs locally to access opportunities in
other areas of higher employment growth.
The ageing population provides opportunities for workforce development in areas such as aged care,
tourism, local services and amenities, including public transport, recreation, health and medical services.
Although aged care is a strong growth area, there are difficulties in attracting young people to the
industry. The Eurobodalla Education and Employment Human Services and Regional Education SubCommittee was developed to address these and other issues and put strategies in place to meet
immediate and future employment needs in the aged care sector.
A partnership involving the RESJ Coordinator, NSW State Training Services, University of Wollongong,
RDA Far South Coast and Eurobodalla Adult Education Inc was formed in 2012 and a project was
developed through NSW State Training Services Pathways for School Leavers Program. Twelve young
people from the Eurobodalla region will be supported to complete a Certificate IV in Aged Care,
complete a University of Wollongong bridging program and gain placement to undertake a Bachelor of
Nursing at the University of Wollongong Batemans Bay Campus commencing 2014. The Young@Heart
project developed by the Local Employment Coordinator in collaboration with local aged care providers
and Job Services Australia and Disability Employment Services providers in the area, identifies
disadvantaged job seekers under 35 and supports and trains them for careers in the aged care industry.
Tourism is also a growth industry in the region with over three million people visiting the region annually,
spending nearly $1.3 billion in 2012. The Far South Coast has one of the highest proportions of protected
lands of any region in New South Wales with over 40 per cent of the area conserved in national parks,
wilderness areas and conservation reserves making it attractive to national and international visitors.
There are thus significant opportunities to expand cultural tourism, although a range of seasonal job
opportunities exist in both the tourism and hospitality sectors. While the tourism season peaks in the Far
South Coast in summer, the adjacent RDA Southern Inland region, particularly the Snowy Mountains, has
significant winter tourism. Exploring cross-border seasonality will be crucial to effective cross-regional
skills and employment project development.
There are also opportunities in renewable energy. South-Eastern New South Wales, which includes the
RDA regions of the Far South Coast, Southern Inland and the ACT, is rich in solar, wind, wave, bio, hydro
and other renewable energy resources. In 2012, the South East Region of Renewable Energy Excellence
(SERREE) successfully gained funding from the Department of Industry, Innovation, Climate Change,
Science, Research and Tertiary Education to map the capability of the region's renewable energy sector.
This project will explore opportunities to develop initiatives that bring training, skills and jobs to the
region in this sector.
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 Far South
Coast 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 – Far South Coast 16
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 1
Early childhood services in the region face immediate and
long-term challenges in up-skilling their workforce.
Goal:
Early childhood education and care providers are supported and have strategies
in place to meet the immediate and longer term workforce development needs.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills
and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs









Coordinate an Early Childhood Education and Care
(ECEC) Roundtable in the Bega Valley in 2013 to
bring together early childhood educators and other
stakeholders to discuss and develop strategies to
meet the challenges in the industry.
Continue to drive the Shoalhaven ECEC Alliance to
implement strategies and activities in collaboration
with the ECEC sector to meet workforce
development needs.
Link Job Services Australia (JSA) and Disability
Employment Services providers (DES), State
Training Services (NSW) and DEEWR ECEC programs
with ECEC providers to ensure that service
provision is tailored to workforce development
needs.
Through membership of Shoalhaven Aboriginal
Child and Family Centre Committee, support and
contribute to projects to ensure that local people
are trained and job-ready for ECEC employment
when the centre opens in 2013.
Identify examples of early childhood education and
care excellence. Celebrate and share achievements
across the region through networks and good news
stories.














Children’s Services
Central
Community
Connections Solutions
Australia
DES providers
Early Childhood
Australia NSW
Early Childhood
Training and Resource
Centre
ECEC providers
Gowrie NSW
JSA providers
NSW Family Services
Inc
Registered training
organisations
State Training Services
(NSW)
TAFE Illawarra
TAFE NSW Higher
Education
University of Canberra
University of
Wollongong






DES
Early Start
Indigenous
Employment Program
Indigenous Parental
and Community
Engagement
Indigenous
Professional Support
Unit
JSA
Professional Support
Coordinators
Recognition of Prior
Learning Assessment
Grant
Regional Pathways
Program (University
of Canberra)
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far South Coast 17
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Goal:
Flexible educational pathways are implemented to align the early childhood
education and care workforce with immediate and future employment needs.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills
and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs





Promote and support initiatives and projects which
support industry skill development and provide
pathways to careers in the Early Childhood
Education and Care (ECEC) industry including ECEC
School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
(SbATs), and Indigenous Youth Career Pathways
(IYCP).
Identify and promote flexible training delivery
options for existing workers, including bringing
trainers to clusters and using technology to access
training.
Link ECEC providers with additional language and
literacy support to meet minimum qualification
requirements with an appropriate industry skills
council Workplace English Language and Literacy
(WELL) Program broker to develop tailored
projects.










Community Services
& Health Industry
Skills Council
Department of
Education and
Communities (NSW)
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
Indigenous
Employment Panel
(IEP) members
IYCP providers
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
Regional
Development
Australia Far South
Coast
Registered training
organisations
State Training Services
(NSW)
TAFE Illawarra
University of
Wollongong










Children’s Services
Program (Dept. of
Education and
Communities)
DES
Early Start
IEP
IYCP
JSA
Recognition of Prior
Learning Assessment
Grant
SbATs
Structured Workplace
Learning
TAFE Fee Waiver
WELL
Issue 2
Proportion of students disengaging from education without
Year 12 or equivalent attainment.
Goal:
Schools and community are informed of programs and initiatives to support
at-risk young people.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs





Contribute to regional education meetings,
including Youth Connections and the School
Business Community Partnership Broker network
meetings, Eurobodalla Education and Employment
Reference Group and membership of existing
school/community partnership groups to:
o inform stakeholders of DEEWR programs and
initiatives
o develop opportunities to expand and link
successful projects and develop interregional
projects/partnerships
o strengthen regional networks
o promote and share best practice
o support the development of cross-regional
projects/partnerships.
Continue to participate on the management
committee of Youth Opportunities project to
support young people to better link with their
community.
In line with the national participation requirements
for young people, work with employment service
providers to ensure that young people re-enrol,
where appropriate, with an education or training
provider to achieve Year 12 or an equivalent
qualification.








Community Training
Partnership
Department of
Education and
Communities (NSW)
—Schools
Eurobodalla
Education and
Employment
Reference Group
NSW Office of
Communities
RDA Far South Coast
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
State Training Services
(NSW)
TAFE Illawarra
Youth Connections











Australian Indigenous
Mentoring Experience
Focus School Next
Steps Initiative
Links to Learning
Parental and
Community
Engagement
Participation Phase
Initiative
Pathways for School
Leavers (NSW State
Training Services)
RDA Far South Coast
Indigenous Education,
Training and
Employment Expos
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Shoalhaven Student
Support programs
Trade Training
Centres in Schools
Youth Connections
Youth Opportunities
Grant Program
Goal:
Alternative pathways to Year 12 or equivalent attainment are developed and
supported.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs






Add value to existing alternative learning projects
by linking and extending models which successfully
raise aspiration and school attainment among
disengaging students, including Youth Connections,
School Business Community Partnership Brokers
and NSW Department of Education and
Communities (DEC) projects.
Work with the education sector, service providers
and industry to explore possibilities for partnerships
and collaborations to support the implementation
and use of Trade Training Centres (TTCs) in Schools
to increase school-based apprenticeships and
traineeships and employment pathways for
vocational education and training students.
Explore opportunities arising from the National
Broadband Network rollout to enhance access to
distance learning, including video conferencing and
streaming services.
Identify regional champions in education
excellence. Celebrate and share achievements
across the region through networks and good news
stories.









Community Training
Partnership
Corporate Connexions
Eurobodalla
Education and
Employment
Reference Group
Learning 4 Life
NSW DEC —Schools
Regional
Development
Australia Far South
Coast
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
State Training Services
(NSW)
TAFE Illawarra
Youth Connections
providers









Djinggi Aboriginal
Teacher in Training
Program
Indigenous Parental
and Community
EngagementLinks to
Learning
Participation Phase
Initiative
Pathways for School
Leavers (NSW State
Training Services)
RDA Far South Coast
Indigenous Education,
Training and
Employment Expos
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Shoalhaven Student
Support programs
TTC in Schools
TVET Iprowd program
Youth Connections
Goal:
Schools, communities and industry are informed and working together to
increase awareness, take-up and completion of school-based apprenticeships and
traineeships.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs






In collaboration with School Business Community
Partnership Brokers and other stakeholders,
identify industries with current and future skills
needs in the region and bring key stakeholders
together to determine training pathways to find,
design and implement School-based
Apprenticeships and Traineeships (SbAT) in those
industries.
Work with stakeholders and community groups
including schools, employers, NSW Department of
Education and Communities— (DEC) and School
Business Community Partnership Brokers to
develop, replicate and extend projects that support
SbATs and addresses the needs of young people in
the region.
Work in partnership with service providers, schools,
employers and other relevant stakeholders to
identify challenges to look at ways to strengthen
and build on successful Indigenous school/industry
activities, opportunities and projects including
Indigenous Youth Career Pathways (IYCP),
Indigenous Ranger Cadetship (IRC) Pilot, Australian
Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME) and
Indigenous Employment Program (IEP).








Department of
Transport (NSW)
IYCP providers
Industry Skills
Councils
NSW DEC
NSW DEC—Schools
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
State Training Services
(NSW)
TAFE Illawarra
Vincentia High School









AIME
Bright Future
Campaign (NSW DEC)
Community Transport
Program
IEP
IRC Pilot
IYCP
SbAT
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Structured Workplace
Learning
Trade Training
Centres in Schools.
Youth Connections
Issue 3
Awareness of local options/pathways to higher and tertiary
education.
Goal:
Schools and community are better informed about options and pathways to
higher and tertiary education.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs











Raise the aspirations of young people and develop
pathways to university by promoting and
coordinating regional tertiary access programs,
including UCANREACH, IN2UNI and the Regional
Partnerships Program.
Collaborate with universities, NSW TAFE and
registered training organisations (RTOs) to map the
pathways to the higher education and vocational
education and training courses available in the
region. Use the information to feed into existing
networks and develop pathway projects.
Contribute to the successful roll-out of the
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience (AIME)
along the Far South Coast in partnership with
University of Wollongong and other stakeholders.
Promote programs that support higher education
attainment for existing workers, including through
Recognition of Prior Learning.
Liaise and work with the local Indigenous Youth
Mobility Program (IYMP) provider to promote the
Canberra service and increase access by Indigenous
youth from other communities in the Far South
Coast region.
Work collaboratively with Regional Development
Australia Far South Coast and other stakeholders to
maximise opportunities for improvements to
videoconferencing and streaming technology
services to the South Coast with the National
Broadband Network rollout.







Australian National
University
Community Training
Partnership
Regional
Development
Australia Far South
Coast
RTOs
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
TAFE Illawarra
University of Canberra
University of
Wollongong




AIME
IN2UNI
IYMP
Recognition of Prior
Learning
Regional Pathways
Program
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
UCANREACH
Youth Connections
Issue 4
Challenging labour market with high youth and Indigenous
unemployment, skill shortage areas and an ageing workforce.
Goal:
Link skills shortages with training pathways to meet immediate and future
employment needs.
Increased opportunities and access to training and employment for groups facing
social disadvantage.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs










Work closely with the Local Employment
Coordinator (LEC) to connect projects and initiatives
across education and skills development to later
sustainable employment in the Shoalhaven and
Eurobodalla areas.
Hold strategic meetings of relevant stakeholders to
discuss future skills needs and emerging or
transforming industries and how they affect
training and education provision.
Support workforce development by helping
stakeholders to access training and workforce
development support through the suite of
programs available through Australian Government
Skills Connect programs.
Utilise relationships with stakeholders to remain
informed of initiatives, programs, projects and
funding opportunities that support pathways to
employment. Share information on a weekly basis
to a network of stakeholders. Identify opportunities
and bring partners together to develop
employment projects.
Engage School Business Community Partnership
Brokers and the business sector to map crossregional seasonal employment needs and promote
strategic local training and employment initiatives.
Link existing Indigenous employment projects in the
region with the Skills for Education and
Employment (SEE) formerly known as Language,
Literacy and Numeracy Program and the Workplace
English Language and Literacy (WELL) program to
support training and employment outcomes.
Work with all NSW regional education, skills and
jobs coordinators to establish a state-wide network
of Industry Skills Councils, education and training
advisers and Enterprise Connect officers to improve
the communication, coordination and delivery of
Australian Government Skills Connect in the region.
Keep a watching brief on the National Broadband
Network rollout for:
o workforce development opportunities
o opportunities for sea changers to work
remotely from the region.













Department of
Innovation, Industry,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
Disability Employment
Services (DES)
providers
Employment service
providers
Industry Skills
Councils
Job Services Australia
(JSA) providers
LEC
NSW Industry Training
Advisory Bodies
RDA ACT
RDA Far South Coast
RDA Southern Inland
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
South East Region of
Renewable Energy
Excellence Steering
Committee and
network
State Training Services
(NSW)
University of Canberra












Accelerated
Australian
Apprenticeships
initiative
Australian
Apprenticeships
Mentoring Program
Australian
Government Skills
Connect
DES
Disability Employment
Services
Indigenous
Employment Program
Indigenous Police
Recruitment Our Way
Delivery
Investing in
Experience (Skills
Recognition and
Training)
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
SEE
WELL
Strategies


Contribute to the South East Region of Renewable
Energy Excellence (SERREE) Steering Committee to
add value to and implement The Greater Capital
Region Renewable Energy Sector – Needs and
Capability Mapping project and support project
activities with a particular focus on progressing
education, training and industry development
opportunities in this region's renewable energy
sector.
Celebrate and share projects that support training
and employment outcomes for disadvantaged
Australians in the region through networks and
good news stories.
Stakeholders
Programs
APPENDICES
Appendix A — Stakeholders
Below is a list of organisations consulted during the development of this RESJ Plan, listed by sector.
Sector
Stakeholder
Local government
Eurobodalla Shire Council; Bega Valley Shire Council; Shoalhaven City Council.
State government
NSW Department of Education and Communities; NSW Department of
Education and Communities, State Training Services; NSW Department of
Planning & Infrastructure; NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet (Office of
Environment and Heritage); NSW Department of Family and Community
Services; Aboriginal Affairs NSW.
Early Childhood Education
and Care
Bega Valley Shire Council; Early Childhood Training and Resource Centre; Little
Yuin Aboriginal Preschool.
Vocational Education and
Training
TAFE Illawarra; Eurobodalla Adult Education Centre Inc.; Auswide.
Higher education
University of Wollongong; University of Canberra; Australian National
University; TAFE NSW Higher Education.
Youth / Education
Youth Connections provider—Campbell Page; Youth Connections provider—
Access Community Group; School Business Community Partnership Broker—
South Coast Workplace Learning; School Business Community Partnership
Broker —The Smith Family; NSW Department of Education and Communities—
School Education Director; Regional Development Australia Far South Coast—
Education Sub-Committee; Moruya High School.
Employment
Local Employment Coordinator—Illawarra.
Regional development
Regional Development Australia Far South Coast.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far South Coast 25
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.
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
Regional Development Australia
(RDA) Far South Coast Strategic
Regional Plan 2010–2015
The plan encompasses five key
goals and priorities:
 Broaden our economic base
 Build infrastructure capacity
 Preserve and nurture our
natural environment
 Improve our quality of life
 Engage our community.
Regional Employment Plan for
Illawarra priority employment area
The Local Employment
Coordinator’s Regional
Employment Plan analyses part of
the South Coast (Eurobodalla and
Shoalhaven) region and outlines
strategies to drive local solutions
to labour market needs, focusing
on disadvantaged Australians.
The draft Community Strategic
Plan covers community and
economic development in the
Eurobodalla.
The Community Strategic Plan
covers community and economic
development in the Bega Valley.
The Community Strategic Plan
covers community and economic
development in the Shoalhaven.
Eurobodalla Draft Community
Strategic Plan
Bega Valley Community Strategic
Plan 2030
The Shoalhaven Community
Strategic Plan
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
The RDA Far South Coast Strategic
Regional Plan highlights the need
to implement strategies to reduce
the outward migration of young
people in search of work. It also
outlines the issue of an increasing
population, particularly of older
Australians, and the need to plan
and prepare for this changing
demographic. The Strategic
Regional Plan particularly notes
that the expected population
increase in the region will require
infrastructure issues to be
specifically addressed in the areas
of residential, retail, commercial,
health, aged care, education, child
care, utilities and transport needs.
This RESJ Plan goals and strategies
complement the RDA Far South
Coast Strategic Regional Plan.
This RESJ Plan complements the
work of the Local Employment
Coordinator in addressing
education, skills and jobs issues in
the region.
This RESJ Plan goals and strategies
complement those in the strategic
plan.
This RESJ Plan goals and strategies
complement those in the strategic
plan.
This RESJ Plan goals and strategies
complement those in the strategic
plan.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far South Coast 26
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Plan or strategy
Impact on RESJ Plan
NSW Department of Planning
South Coast Regional Strategy
The strategy highlights the
challenges that the increasing
population will create for the
region (retirees moving in, an
ageing population and young
people leaving).
NSW 2021 Plan
The education, skills and jobs
priority actions of NSW 2021
support and are connected with
Council of Australian Governments
agreed goals.
Illawarra and South Coast Regional
Action Plan (RAP)
The Illawarra/South Coast RAP
focuses on revitalising the region’s
economy, improving transport
connectivity, delivering local
infrastructure and protecting the
natural environment.
Two Ways Together: a new way of
doing business with Aboriginal
people
Two Ways Together provides
guidance to the RESJ Coordinator
to ensure that Aboriginal people
are consulted in culturally
appropriate ways.
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
The data/predications in the NSW
Department of Planning South
Coast Regional Strategy have been
used in conjunction with
community consultations to
develop strategies to meet those
challenges.
The key focus areas of NSW 2021
are integrated into this RESJ Plan,
including quality early childhood
education, student achievement in
literacy and numeracy, Year 12
completion, quality of teaching,
and share of jobs in regional NSW.
The Illawarra and South Coast RAP
identifies the immediate actions
the NSW Government can take to
deliver on community priorities,
increase opportunities and
improve the quality of life and will
be aligned to NSW 2021, guiding
policy and budget decision-making.
The seven priority action areas,
particularly education and
economic development, assist the
RESJ Coordinator when reviewing
how services work with Aboriginal
individuals, families and
communities.
ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Full Term
AEDI
Australian Early Development Index
AIME
Australian Indigenous Mentoring Experience
DEC
Department of Education and Communities (NSW)
DEEWR
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
DES
Disability Employment Service
ECEC
Early Childhood Education and Care
HIPPY
Home Interaction Program for Parents and Youngsters
IEP
Indigenous Employment Program
IRC
Indigenous Ranger Cadetship
IYCP
Indigenous Youth Career Pathways
IYMP
Indigenous Youth Mobility Program
JSA
Job Services Australia
LEC
Local Employment Coordinator
NAPLAN
National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy
RAP
Regional Action Plan
RDA
Regional Development Australia
RESJ
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
RTO
Registered training organisations
SbATs
School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
SEE
Skills for Education and Employment
SERREE
South East Region of Renewable Energy Excellence
TTC
Trade Training Centres
TVET
Technical and Vocational Education and Training
VET
Vocational education and training
WELL
Workplace English Language and Literacy
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Far South Coast 28
www.deewr.gov.au/resj