Study with North Coast TAFE to start on the road to success
Thursday 24th April, 2008
It’s not too late to embark on the career of your choice or build on your existing skills, with North Coast TAFE now taking mid-year enrolments.
North Coast TAFE Institute Director Elizabeth McGregor is urging people to take this opportunity to enhance their skills and knowledge, citing recent research which shows there is an increasing shortfall of skilled workers across Australia.
“Research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that 87 per cent of available jobs require post-school qualifications but just 50 per cent of the workforce has these qualifications,” Ms McGregor says.
“If this pattern continues, we are facing a shortfall of almost 240,000 skilled workers by the year 2016.”
Ms McGregor says that while many of the shortages are occurring in traditional trades such as the automotive, building and electrical industries, there is also increasing demand for skilled employees in the hospitality, communications, rural and farming sectors.
“In recent years the highest levels of employment growth have been in highly skilled occupations such as engineering, building, medical and technology,” says Ms McGregor, “so now is a good time to consider training in these fields.”
Ms McGregor also highlighted the success of North Coast TAFE’s 2007 graduates who enjoyed high rates employment following the completion of their course.
“Seventy per cent of our students were employed after training last year and this figure has been growing each year,” she said.
“This is a trend we certainly expect to continue in the future.”
North Coast TAFE offers a wide range of courses in arts and media, business, community services and health, construction and transport, general education, information technology, manufacturing and engineering, primary industries and natural resources, tourism, hospitality, retail and personal services.
“Places in high-demand courses fill quickly so it is important that students get their applications in before May 30,” Ms McGregor said.
