Dr Michele Bruniges to lead year-long TAFE evaluation for New South Wales

The New South Wales Government will complete a comprehensive review of the state’s vocational education system, which aims to “restore TAFE to the best it can be” and to “reskill NSW”. 

The review, a key election commitment of the sitting Labor Government, will be led by a three-person expert panel, which will consult broadly to develop robust recommendations aimed at reviving TAFE in the state.

“This review will go beyond the 2020 Gonski Shergold Review of Vocational Education. It will build on that work and include a focus on how to rebuild TAFE as the heart of the vocational education system, how to improve access to vocational education and training as well as support for learners to succeed and how to address the skills shortages in NSW,” said Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Tim Crakanthorp.

The review will determine the full impact of the cuts made to TAFE in recent times and establish a path forward. It will be led by Expert Chair Dr Michele Bruniges AM, herself a former TAFE teacher, who has also worked in senior Government positions and as a board member in the education sector for the last 20 years.

Dr Bruniges will be joined by eminent panel members, including Professor Verity Firth AM, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Social Justice and Inclusion at UTS and former NSW Minister for Education and Training; and, Jason Ardler PSM, a Yuin man from the South Coast of NSW with two decades of experience in senior executive roles in the NSW public sector.

“I have seen the incredible impact of vocational education on our learners and want to ensure that we have a system in place that supports everyone to succeed, no matter their background,” Dr Bruniges.

Review panel members were selected by a NSW Department of Education selection panel on their breadth of knowledge, with criteria that included a demonstrated deep understanding of TAFE and the NSW VET system; knowledge of different student pathways and cohorts; and, relevant academic or government review experience.

The review will be informed by extensive stakeholder engagement from education providers and experts, industry, industrial representatives, students, and professional bodies. Opportunities for input will include a skills summit, a series of roundtables and broad public consultation.

At the conclusion of the stakeholder consultation period and after further analysis an interim report will be delivered by the end of 2023, with a final report due by mid-2024 which will guide the development of a 2024 NSW Skills Plan.

The Skills Plan will support a vision for the future success of NSW, with a “skilled and agile workforce ready for the challenges we face now and those which lie ahead, supported by a TAFE NSW”.

To learn more about the review or to read the draft Terms of Reference, see here.