This budget provides an additional $610.3 million over the forward estimates ($692.6 million to 2028-29), bringing total funding for skills and training to $2.3 billion over five years.

This funding represents a 43 per cent increase in skills funding over five years, and ensures that South Australians get the skills they need for the jobs being created across our economy. Funding will support TAFE SA, not-for-profits and other non-government training providers, and there is a key focus on student supports to boost training completion.

Additional training places

$275.6 million to increase the number of training places by around 35 per cent to over 160 000, prioritising the future skills needs of the state in areas including defence, health, building and construction, early childhood education, clean energy transition and ICT. This includes a 20 per cent increase in TAFE SA places in regional SA.

Training improvements

$62.6 million for quality training including a boost to audits and investigations to ensure training providers and employers meet their obligations. This includes a strong focus on apprenticeship safety and addressing unacceptable behaviours in the training system.

Additional student supports

$56.2 million to support students and increase training completion rates, including additional funding for financial and other wellbeing supports, such as help to find secure housing and manage financial stress, access to career and course information, and foundational skills programs.

Vocational education and training

$53.1 million to increase the VET workforce, develop curriculum to meet the state’s economic priorities, and invest in teaching plant and equipment and student infrastructure.

Support for First Nations students

$18.3 million for Closing the Gap initiatives that deliver tailored education programs to First Nations students, and support lifting the proportion of Aboriginal people with a Certificate III or above.

Workforce planning

$13.3 million to support the state’s workforce planning and defence industries pathways programs.

Support for the regions

$9 million to support programs in regional areas to connect learners, employers and trainers to get people into training and work where it is needed most.