REGIONAL EDUCATION, SKILLS AND JOBS
PLAN
NEW SOUTH WALES – CENTRAL 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:
978-0-642-78611-1 [PDF]
978-0-642-78612-8 [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 Plans 2012-2014 – Central 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 – Central 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 ................................................................................................... 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 ................................................................................................... 11
Issue 1
Closing the Gap in all areas for Indigenous Australians. ......................................................... 12
Issue 2
Support the Better Futures, Local Solutions initiative. ........................................................... 13
Issue 3 Availability of suitably qualified staff to work in early childhood education and care services
within the region. .................................................................................................................................... 14
Issue 4 The need to support the development of alternative education programs for students at risk
of disengaging from mainstream education systems. ............................................................................ 15
Issue 5 A low proportion of the population with post-school education and high levels of youth
unemployment. ....................................................................................................................................... 16
Issue 6 The region is experiencing skills shortages in qualified trade areas. Innovative solutions and
partnerships are required to match training with employment opportunities. ..................................... 18
Appendices .......................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix A — Stakeholders .................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix B — Existing related plans and strategies ............................................................................... 21
Abbreviations ....................................................................................................................... 22
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 Central 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 – Central Coast 4
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The Central Coast of New South Wales stretches from the peninsula of Woy Woy in the south to the
southern edge of Lake Macquarie in the north. The Central Coast boasts 81 kilometres of picturesque
beaches and coastline and over half of the region is national parks or bushland. The region is located
between Sydney and Newcastle, which are linked by the F3 freeway. The major centres and communities
are serviced by two Local Government Areas (LGAs): Gosford City and Wyong Shire.
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:
 Closing the Gap in all areas for Indigenous Australians
 the availability of suitably qualified staff to work in the early childhood and care sector within the
region
 the need to support 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
 a low proportion of the population with post-school education
 high levels of youth unemployment, indicating a disconnect in the transition from schooling to
training or employment
 the need to address the impact of skills shortages in qualified trades areas.
The key goals of the RESJ Plan are to:
 increase training and employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians within the Central Coast
region
 increase the number of qualified child care workers working within the sector across the region
 provide a regionally focused and coordinated response to increase engagement and
opportunities for young people, including the development of alternative learning programs, an
informed school community, growth in School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships, and
increased participation in education and training
 provide a coordinated response to supporting jobs growth and matching training with industry
needs
 increase 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
 maximise opportunities for job seekers through the development of quality training projects
linked to employment opportunities.
The Wyong Local Government Area was selected for additional support through the Better Futures, Local
Solutions initiative. The initiative is assisting families and individuals improve their work skills, find jobs
and promote opportunities for their children. The Better Futures, Local Solutions initiative is being
coordinated by the Government Action Leader and Community Action Leader and is supported through
the Local Advisory Group.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Central Coast 5
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
The Central Coast region has an RDA Committee with a broad plan that includes opportunities for
education, skills and employment. The Central Coast is also part of the Central Coast-Hunter priority
employment area and has a Local Employment Coordinator (LEC) in place. The Central Coast 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:

Designing and delivering, in partnership with Hunter Institute of TAFE the successful Wyong
Young Parents ‘Skills for Tomorrow’ project to re-engage young mothers back with education.
The project was specifically designed to provide young parents with an opportunity to acquire
skills to gain employment, through studying Certificate II in Skills for Work and Training and a
range of Certificate III units that are relevant to the young parents and the local labour market.
The project partners worked to remove barriers for participants by addressing transport issues
and through community delivery of short term onsite crèche care for their children. Due to the
project’s success, it has become a recognised program at Hunter Institute of TAFE and as at
March 2013, 13 participants completed the program and are now continuing their education
while their children are engaged in quality child care.

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 estimated resident population of the Central Coast RDA Region in 2011 was 321,685. According to
the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure, the region is expected to grow at around 4 per cent
per annum, equating to an increase of 100,000 residents between 2006 and 2031. However, the growth
rate for 2010 and 2011 was less than 1 per cent indicating a slower than predicted current growth rate.
The Central Coast is the traditional lands of the Darkinjung people. In 2006 the region reported an
Aboriginal population of 7130, which by 2011 had risen to 9063 people identifying as Indigenous. In 2009
the Aboriginal population was projected to have an annual average growth rate of 3 per cent, which
would result in an Aboriginal population of 11,161 by 2021. This forecast growth rate makes the
Aboriginal population in the region the second fastest growing Aboriginal population in New South Wales
(NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs, 2009).
The region has an ageing population. Data from the 2011 Census show that at that time 18.6 per cent of
the population were aged 65 years or more. This was 4.1 per cent higher than the NSW average of
14.5 per cent. The proportions of people in the remaining age cohorts in the region are similar to the
average figures for NSW with the exception of people aged 25 to 39 years. In the Central Coast RDA
region, 17.4 per cent of the population is in this age cohort, 3.5 per cent less than the NSW average of
20.9 per cent (DEEWR, 2012). The ageing population presents opportunities and challenges for the
health and community services sector. This sector is the largest employer in the region, providing
opportunities for health professionals and semi-skilled workers to live and work locally.
In the future there will be a challenge for the sector in the region in attracting people to available
careers, retaining workers and matching quality training to industry needs. DEEWR recently conducted a
‘Survey of Employers’ Recruitment Experiences’ for the Central Coast – Hunter priority employment area
in the health and aged care sectors. 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 to be unsuitable were insufficient experience and insufficient qualifications.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Central Coast 7
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Early childhood education and care
The early childhood and care sector is serviced by 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.
There are 241 child care centres and 11 preschools in the region.
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 the two Central Coast LGAs of Gosford and Wyong had lower proportions of
vulnerable children than the national rates on both measures.
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, early childhood education providers must comply with new
requirements such as mandatory employee qualifications and higher educator-to-child ratios. These
requirements are to be phased in between 2012 and 2020. There is an opportunity to strengthen the
sector’s network across the region to support the implementation of these reforms.
The New South Wales Government estimates that 5800 New South Wales early childhood education and
care workers will require additional training to meet the early childhood education and care reforms
under the National Quality Framework. To assist, there is a need to explore flexible training and
assessment methods, including different pathways and options to access training. To facilitate
experienced early childhood education and care employees obtaining or upgrading qualifications to meet
the minimum requirements, access to support such as the Recognition of Prior Learning Assessment
Grant will be important.
School education
Data from the 2011 Census shows the proportion of those who reported having achieved a Year 12 or
equivalent was 36.9 per cent, 12.3 per cent lower than the New South Wales and Australian averages of
49.2 per cent.
High school education is delivered by 21 government and 12 independent schools in the region. A
number of specialist schools cater for students with higher levels of disadvantage, including children
involved in the juvenile justice system, children with autism, children with a disability and children with
severe behavioural issues.
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 four Trade Training Centres (TTCs) in Schools in the
Central Coast RDA region. 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 Apprentices and Traineeships (SbATs) and by linking and
sharing with other schools, industry, TAFE and other registered training organisations.
The region has benefited from the four rounds of Australian Government investment in Trade Training
Centres in Schools program. Two partnership projects in the region successfully applied for funding in
Round One and Round Two of the program. Two stand-alone schools received funding in Round Four.
Training is in the vocational areas of metals, engineering, commercial cookery, hospitality, construction,
agriculture and horticulture.
Since 2010 a number of alternative education facilities have been established through partnerships in
the region. They provide alternative education pathways for over 120 young people who have
disengaged from mainstream education or are at high risk of disengaging. Tuggerah Lakes Kincumber
Community College delivers Year 9 and Year 10 education through the ALESCO Learning Centre at the
Tuggerah Lakes Kincumber Community College. Partnerships between Erina High School and Youth
Connections enable the delivery of the TradeStart program, providing VET pathways in construction and
hospitality for young people under the age of 17 years. Additionally, Youth Connections deliver the
Connectors program, which is a Board of Studies endorsed Year 10 course.
In 2013 ET Australia commenced delivery of Year 9 and Year 10 education. The ET Australia Secondary
College is a NSW Board of Studies recognised; independent special assistance school co-located with
multiple youth services in Gosford.
Consultations have identified a priority for all key stakeholders is to continue to develop new alternative
education facilities, particularly in areas of higher disadvantage, including Wyong and the Peninsula.
The growth and evolution of ‘Green Central’ at Mount Penang has seen an abandoned construction site
become a youth hub for School-based Apprenticeships and Traineeships, multiple educational programs,
various operational social enterprises, an Indigenous Skills Centre and a media centre. There is a need to
strengthen existing partnerships and develop new partnerships in order to expand the supported
alternate education, training and employment models into areas of high need across the region.
Tertiary education and training
The Central Coast RDA region has a multi-sector tertiary education learning hub at Ourimbah, halfway
between Gosford and Wyong. The Ourimbah campus is a partnership between the University of
Newcastle, the Hunter Institute of TAFE and the Central Coast Community College. The Hunter Institute
of TAFE also has campuses in Gosford and Wyong.
In January 2013, the University of Newcastle and the Central Coast Regional Development Corporation
announced plans to introduce a new campus and presence in Gosford. It is anticipated the Gosford
campus will offer enabling programs and preparatory courses targeting the regional skills gaps.
Participation in tertiary education is higher in the Gosford LGA than in the Wyong LGA. This is particularly
noticeable in relation to the proportion of people who record their highest level of achievement as a
bachelor, postgraduate or diploma-level qualification: the proportion of such people in Gosford is almost
double that in Wyong. At the regional level, 42 per cent of the population recorded completion of post schooling qualifications in comparison to the New South Wales average of 45 per cent.
Jobs, skills and workforce development
There are 199,885 people of working age (15 to 64 years) in the Central Coast RDA region. The current
unemployment rate is 6.2 per cent which is above the national average of 5.2 per cent. However, DEEWR
Small Area Labour Markets data demonstrate the differences in participation in the labour market
between Gosford and Wyong. The Central Coast RDA region is covered by four Statistical Local Areas; the
level of unemployment ranges from 3.7 per cent in Gosford East to 8.1 per cent in Wyong North East
(DEEWR, 2012).
The Central Coast is often reported to have higher than average youth unemployment rates. To address
this, there have been efforts to improve the coordination of service delivery and increase training and
employment opportunities for young people. In December 2012, the 12-month average for the teenage
full-time unemployment rate was 27.8 per cent. There were 3625 registered job seekers aged between
15 and 24 years, the highest proportion of job seekers in any age cohort in the region (DEEWR, 2012).
According to the NSW Department of Planning and Infrastructure’s Central Coast Regional Strategy
2006–2031, 25 per cent of Central Coast workers commute outside the region for employment—in
particular, to Sydney and Newcastle. The region is well serviced by rail transport to the south and north.
The remainder of the region is serviced by buses that go into and out of major centres, including
Gosford, Erina, The Entrance and Wyong. Despite these transport options, Job Services Australia
providers report that a lack of transport remains a barrier to placing job seekers in employment,
particularly if job seekers do not hold a drivers licence and if the job is in industrial areas with relatively
early start times. Private vehicles remain the transport method of choice for most local workers.
Employment figures for the region show that health care and social assistance combined with retail trade
are the largest employers in the region with just under 30,000 persons employed. Manufacturing,
accommodation and food services, education and training complete the region’s top 5 with around 8000
people employed in each sector. These sectors have entry-level and low skilled positions, including
traineeships and apprenticeships which are well suited to job seekers. In 2009 there were 12,663
businesses on the Central Coast that were sole traders with no employees and there were few large
employers in the region (DEEWR, 2009).
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 Central 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 – Central Coast 11
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 1
Closing the Gap in all areas for Indigenous Australians.
Goal:
Increase training and employment outcomes for Indigenous Australians within
the Central Coast region.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; School education; 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
providers, develop a range of projects to increase
the employability of Indigenous job seekers.
Help industry to implement Indigenous
Employment Program (IEP) strategies in upcoming
major projects by developing quality partnerships
with local providers.
Participate and support the bi-annual ‘Indigenous
Jobs Markets’.



DES providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
IEP panel members
Industry
JSA providers
IEP
JSA
Strategic Skills
Program
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Central Coast 12
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
Issue 2
Support the Better Futures, Local Solutions initiative.
Goals:
Support young parents participating in the initiative to achieve a Year 12 or
equivalent qualification, improve job readiness and support their ongoing
development to care for their families.
Support jobless families to participate in quality projects that improve work
readiness and employability.
Theme(s):
Early childhood education and care; School education; Tertiary education and
training; Jobs, skills and workforce development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs







Help the Government Action Leader (GAL), the
Community Action Leader (CAL) and the Local
Action Group to develop and deliver projects that
support the engagement and participation of
jobless families in the Wyong Local Government
Area.
Continue to support and develop quality training
projects tailored for young parents following the
successful trial and implementation in 2012.
Participate in the Wyong Place Based meetings to
identify priorities and opportunities to support the
initiative.
Work with key stakeholders to develop sustainable
program models to support Young Parents in
achieving their educational goals.





CAL
Department of
Human Services
GAL
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
Local Action Group
Local Employment
Coordinator
Youth Connections
providers


Better Futures, Local
Solutions
Communities for
Children
Youth Connections
Issue 3
Availability of suitably qualified staff to work in early childhood
education and care services within the region.
Goal:
Increase the number of qualified early childhood education and care staff
working within the sector across the region.
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
round table in mid-2013 to build support for
workforce development strategies and develop
sustainable employment and training models for
the sector.
Undertake a workforce planning survey of early
childhood facilities and services in the region to
identify skills gaps. Develop practical solutions to
addressing the sector’s needs through initiatives
such as the National Workforce Development Fund
(NWDF) and the NSW Government’s industry
support strategy ‘New Skills: Quality Care’.
As part of the workforce planning survey and sector
forum, develop a register of early childhood and
care providers and services who are willing to
support students and job seekers wishing to
undertake work placement or work experience
activities in the industry, 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 that support
the changes to skills requirements in the sector.
Work with Job Services Australia (JSA) and Disability
Employment Services (DES) providers to identify job
seekers with child care qualifications and develop
projects to upskill, re-train or match them to local
child care services.








Community Services
and Health Industry
Skills Council
Department of
Education and
Communities (NSW)
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
DES providers
Early childhood and
care providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
JSA providers
RTOs
State Training Services
(NSW)








Australian
Government Skills
Connect
DES
FEE-HELP
JSA
New Skills: Quality
Care
NWDF
Recognition of Prior
Learning Assessment
Grants
Strategic Skills
Program
TAFE Fee Waiver
Issue 4
The need to support the development of alternative education
programs for students at risk of disengaging from mainstream
education systems.
Goals:
Continued development of alternative learning programs to support disengaged
students to meet local needs.
The school community is informed on 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.
Students and school communities are better informed about the local
employment opportunities, pathways and support services post schooling to help
inform study choices.
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 socio-economic disadvantage and high
numbers of students at risk of not completing their
Higher School Certificate, with particular focus on
the Wyong Local Government Area.
Where schools and students are identified, map
existing services and programs being delivered
within that school. Where gaps are identified,
design pilot projects aimed at connecting these
young people to support services and programs.
Explore what types of projects can be developed to
engage targeted students with Job Services
Australia (JSA) providers as direct registrations in
the Vulnerable Youth (Student) category, with
service delivery occurring in schools to address the
range of non-vocational barriers that prevent
students from participating in education.
Assist youth service providers to develop and
deliver alternative education programs with
vocational components in skills shortage areas.
Partner with Hunter Institute of TAFE to deliver
programs targeting disengaged school students,
including Participation Pathway Options that Work.
Support the Hunter Central Coast School-based
Apprenticeships and Traineeships Action Plan to
increase school-based 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 and transition
teams
Department of
Education and
Communities (NSW)
Department of
Human Services
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
JSA providers
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Schools
State Training Services
(NSW)
Transition Pathways
Committee
Youth service
providers




JSA
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
School-based
Apprenticeships and
Traineeships
Strategic Skills
Program
Trade Training
Centres in Schools
Youth Connections
Issue 5
A low proportion of the population with post-school education
and high levels of youth unemployment.
Goals:
Increased participation in education and training.
Quality partnerships between training and industry needs.
Greater information sharing and awareness of training pathways and
opportunities.
Bridging the disconnect for young people transitioning from school to
employment resulting in lower levels of youth unemployment.
Theme(s):
School education; Tertiary education and training; Jobs, skills and workforce
development.
Strategies
Stakeholders
Programs







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.
o 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.
o When exploring the types of projects to be
developed, include a project to encourage
young girls and women to go into careers in the
male-dominated traditional trade areas and
programs for young people from non-English
speaking backgrounds.
Provide support to connect relevant stakeholders,
Job Services Australia (JSA) and Disability
Employment Services (DES) providers to fund and
deliver projects for job seekers and identify the
support services available.
In collaboration with the School Business
Community Partnership Broker, support the youth
and community services sector to develop
strategies which improve and increase skills
development in the sector and, as a result, deliver
better outcomes for young people.
o Deliver a workshop in 2013 to gain further
information about the sector’s workforce
needs and develop sector-wide strategies to
upskill the existing workforce.
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













Department of
Education and
Communities (NSW)
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
DES providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
JSA providers
Local government
Narara Valley High
School
Regional
Development
Australia Central
Coast
School Business
Community
Partnership Broker
Schools
State Training Services
(NSW)
Trade Training
Centres
Wyong Shire Council
Youth Connections







DES
Education Investment
Fund
Higher Education
Participation and
Partnerships Program
JSA
School based
Apprenticeships and
Traineeships
School Business
Community
Partnership Brokers
Strategic Skills
Program
Trade Training
Centres in Schools
Youth Connections
Strategies




in Schools to increase Year 12 attainment, School
based Apprenticeships and Traineeships and
employment pathways for vocational education
and training students.
Collaborate with key stakeholders across the region
to ensure that training delivered in school meets
industry requirements and improves employment,
apprenticeship and traineeship outcomes.
Help higher education and VET providers to develop
partnerships with schools in low socio-economic
status areas to develop activities through the
Higher Education Participation and Partnerships
Program.
Work with education and training providers to
develop proposals to access infrastructure funding,
including the Education Investment Fund, which
meet regional priorities and improve quality and
access to training, with particular focus on
alternative education facilities.
Support Wyong Shire Council to develop its ‘Life
Long Learning Strategy’, including participating as a
partner in the implementation of key tasks
identified through consultation and mapping.
Stakeholders
Programs
Issue 6
The region is experiencing skills shortages in qualified trade
areas. Innovative solutions and partnerships are required to
match training with employment opportunities.
Goal:
A coordinated response to supporting jobs growth and matching training with
industry needs.
Maximised opportunities for local job seekers on major infrastructure projects.
Improved take-up and completion rates for apprenticeships in trade industries
with skills shortages.
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










Assist Regional Development Australia (RDA)
Central Coast to achieve the vision, objectives and
priorities from the Central Coast Regional Plan
2012–2015 within the education, skills and jobs
portfolios.
Support and partner with key stakeholders to
develop innovative programs, including identifying
alternative education facilities for the delivery of
skills and employment for young people in skills
shortage areas.
Support RDA Central Coast and the lead agencies
identified in the 18-month action plan in the
continued rollout of the Regional Economic
Development and Employment Strategy (REDES)
through participation on the REDES Strategic
Implementation Group.
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 Job
Services Australia (JSA) and Disability Employment
Services (DES) providers and industry-matched skill
sets.
In partnership with the Local Employment
Coordinator (LEC) support employment and training
opportunities for job seekers associated with the
rollout of the National Broadband Network.
Promote government initiatives and funding
opportunities, including the National Workforce
Development Fund, to industry through networks
and facilitate project partnerships to access funding
opportunities.
Participate in meetings of the Central Coast Building
Australia’s Future Workforce Advisory Committee










Building Australia’s
Future Workforce
Advisory Committee
Department of
Education and
Communities (NSW)
Department of
Industry, Innovation,
Climate Change,
Science, Research and
Tertiary Education
DES providers
Hunter Institute of
TAFE
JSA providers
LEC
National Broadband
Network principal
contractors and
training providers
RDA Central Coast
Registered training
organisations
State Training Services
– industry networks








Accelerated
Australian
Apprenticeships
initiative
Australian
Apprenticeships
Access Program
Australian
Apprenticeships
Mentoring Program
Communities for
Children
Continuing
Apprentices
Placement Service
DES
JSA
National Workforce
Development Fund
Strategic Skills
Program
Strategies


and provide updates on activities and outcomes
against the RESJ Plan.
Participate in the State Training Services Central
Coast Industry Network to connect with industry
and provide updates on opportunities and DEEWR
initiatives that support skills and workforce
development.
Support RDA Central Coast and the Local
Employment Coordinator to implement the Central
Coast Social Enterprise Strategy to grow and
support social enterprise as a model for creating
entry-level employment opportunities for highly
disadvantaged job seekers.
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
Gosford City Council; Wyong Shire Council.
State government
Department of Education and Communities; Department of Premier and
Cabinet; Department of Trade and Investment.
Australian Government
Department of Human Services - Government Action Leader.
Education
Career and Transition Teams; Central Coast Schools Careers Expo Committee;
VET in Schools providers.
Vocational Education and
Training
NSW Hunter Institute of TAFE; NSW State Training Services.
Higher education
University of Newcastle - Central Coast campus.
Youth
Youth Connections providers.
Employment
Building Australia’s Future Workforce Advisory Committee; Local Employment
Coordinator.
Regional development
Regional Development Australia Central Coast.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Central Coast 20
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
How it can be
used/linked/expanded
Regional Development Australia
(RDA) Central Coast Regional Plan
2011–2015
Regional Economic Development
and Employment Strategy Central
Coast
Gosford 2025 Community Strategic
Plan
Wyong Shire Community Plan
2008–2013
NSW 2021
The Regional Plan identifies shared
priorities.
This RESJ Plan supports the goals
of the Central Coast RDA.
The strategy identifies shared
priorities.
This RESJ Plan supports the goals
contained in this strategy.
The Community Strategic Plan
Identifies shared priorities.
The Community Plan identifies a
Lifelong Learning Strategy.
NSW 2021 provides strategic
direction for economic
development.
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 RESJ Plan supports the goals
contained in this Plan.
This RESJ Plan’s goals are
complementary to this Plan.
This RESJ Plan is complementary to
this document.
Priority Employment Area initiative
- Central Coast –Hunter Regional
Employment Plan
Central Coast Regional Action Plan
(RAP)
The Central Coast RAP identifies
improving local employment,
education and investment
opportunities in the region.
These plans share 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.
This RESJ Plan’s goals are
complementary to this Plan.
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Central Coast 21
www.deewr.gov.au/resj
ABBREVIATIONS
Abbreviation
Full Term
AEDI
Australian Early Development Index
CAL
Community Action Leader
DEEWR
Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations
DES
Disability Employment Service
GAL
Government Action Leader
IEP
Indigenous Employment Program
JSA
Job Services Australia
LEC
Local Employment Coordinator
LGA
Local Government Area
NWDF
National Workforce Development Fund
RDA
Regional Development Australia
RAP
Regional Action Plan
REDES
Regional Economic Development and Employment Strategy
RESJ
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs
RTO
Registered training organisation
SbATs
School-based Apprentices and Traineeships
TTC
Trade Training Centre
Regional Education, Skills and Jobs Plan – Central Coast 22
www.deewr.gov.au/resj