CLANCY CALLS ON THE NSW LABOR SKILLS MINISTER TO STAND UP TO CANBERRA
NSW Shadow Minister for Skills, TAFE & Tertiary Education Justin Clancy has called on the NSW Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan to urgently press his Commonwealth Labor colleagues to reverse changes that will halve training incentives for new entrants in the care economy, including aged care, disability care and early childhood roles, from $5,000 to $2,500 from 1 January.
Mr Clancy said the NSW Skills Minister must stand up for NSW and put the issue directly to the Commonwealth.
“These incentives help trainees and apprentices get a foot in the door, and help employers take a chance on new workers,” Mr Clancy said.
“Cutting them in half for the care economy, is going backwards—especially when aged care and disability services are crying out for staff.”
‘I’m calling on Minister Whan to pick up the phone to the Federal Skills Minister and demand these cuts be reversed before they take effect on 1 January,’ Mr Clancy said.
‘NSW cannot afford policy settings that make it harder to attract workers into the very sectors that keep our communities functioning, particularly in regional and rural areas.’
Industry leaders have already warned incentive reductions will make recruitment and retention harder, with flow-on impacts to roster fill rates, continuity of care, and operating costs, while demand for care continues.
‘These are not optional jobs. These workers support older Australians with dignity, keep disability services running, and underpin early childhood education. Training support should be strengthened, not cut.’
Mr Clancy called on the NSW Skills Minister to publicly advocate for the Commonwealth to:
- Reverse the halving of incentive payments for new entrants training in aged care, disability care and early childhood roles.
- Maintain fair access to incentives so the care economy is not deprioritised compared with other sectors.
- Provide clarity on ongoing incentive eligibility settings under the Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System and Priority List arrangements beyond January.
