TAFE Centres of Excellence (TCoEs)
What are TAFE Centres of Excellence?
Through the National Skills Agreement, the Australian Government will partner with states and territories to establish nationally networked TAFE Centres of Excellence which will help deliver a skilled workforce for strategically important industries to meet national challenges.
They will increase collaboration between TAFEs, through partnerships with industry and universities and deliver the skills people need for good, secure work and careers.
Click here to view Department of Employment and Workplace Relations’ factsheet on TAFE Centres of Excellence.
Click here to read joint media release by The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP Minister for Skills and Training and The Hon Jason Clare MP Minister for Education on “Turbocharging TAFE centres of excellence and accelerating apprenticeships”.
Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence (CESNCE), state-wide, WA
The federal and West Australian governments have committed $70 million to establish Australia’s first TAFE Clean Energy Skills National Centre of Excellence.
The centre will operate across the WA TAFE network and be a skills leader in clean energy science, engineering, construction and operation, supporting the net zero transformation and a Future Made in Australia.
Because of the size, scale and diversity of projects being developed across WA in solar, wind, hydrogen and batteries, the Centre of Excellence will leverage the existing strengths of the network of TAFEs across the state.
It will expand access to clean energy skills training opportunities at TAFE campuses in metropolitan Perth and in regional areas including Kalgoorlie, Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Karratha, and Broome.
Click here to read announcement by Western Australia government.
Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) Electric Vehicle (EV) Centre of Excellence, Fyshwick, ACT
The federal and ACT governments announced on 6 May 2024 the establishment of the Electric Vehicle (EV) Centre of Excellence which will be funded by $9.7 million from each government.
The Centre of Excellence will provide innovative world class training for a future EV workforce and will develop new diploma and degree apprenticeship pathways to support a ‘Future Made in Australia’ for industries developing, operating and maintaining EVs and related technology.
It will further develop training for mechanics, technicians and developers of light and heavy vehicles and mobile plant technology, hydrogen vehicles and associated fields such as charging infrastructure installation and maintenance.
The new centre will network with experienced TAFEs in other states and leverage partnerships with universities, Jobs and Skills Councils and industry to grow the skills needed to support EV uptake and the transition to net zero.
Click here to read joint media release by The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP Minister for Skills and Training, Andrew Barr MLA ACT Chief Minister, Chris Steel MLA, ACT Minister for Skills and Training, Alicia Payne MP Member for Canberra on “Canberra Institute of Technology to host first TAFE Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence”.
TAFE Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support, TAFE Queensland, QLD
The TAFE Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support, led by TAFE Queensland, is a $35 million joint initiative by the Australian and Queensland Governments to address national skills gaps in health, nursing, and community services, with a particular focus on aged care, disability, and mental health.
The Centre will collaborate with national health stakeholders to research and develop innovative training opportunities and higher-level pathways, ensuring workers gain the skills needed now and in the future.
Additionally, the Centre will ensure that training is culturally appropriate for First Nations people and meets place-based workforce needs, particularly in rural, regional, and remote areas.
Through the National Skills Agreement, the TAFE Centre of Excellence Health Care and Support will receive $15 million from the Australian Government, matched by the Queensland Government, plus an additional $5 million from the Commonwealth through the Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence initiative.
TAFE SA Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care, Adelaide, SA
The TAFE SA Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care is partnering with industry and universities to train early childcare workers for essential care services.
The TAFE SA Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care will lift the skills and capability of early childcare workers for essential care services on a national scale, through sharing of high-quality training products and industry demonstration to increase access to early childhood education and care across Australia.
The TAFE SA Centre of Excellence in Early Childhood Education and Care will receive $11.5 million from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government and $5 million in additional funding through the Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence measure.
TAFE NSW Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, Wetherill Park, NSW
The Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence aims to equip the future workforce with the skills needed to support Australia’s manufacturing sovereign capability and food security.
The Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will provide targeted training for advanced manufacturing and sovereign capability, food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceutical manufacturing and will support greater integration of digital technology.
The Western Sydney Advanced Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will receive approx. $27m from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government.
TAFE Centre of Excellence Clean Energy Batteries, TAFE Queensland, QLD
The TAFE Centre of Excellence Clean Energy Batteries, led by TAFE Queensland, is a $20 million joint initiative by the Australian and Queensland Governments to support the growth of current and emerging battery technologies.
The Centre will deliver targeted training solutions to meet national skill needs in renewable energy storage, grid connectivity, network-embedded storage at large and small scales, and electric vehicles.
Through partnerships with clean energy stakeholders across Australia, the Centre will also develop higher-level pathways and improve training opportunities for First Nations people, the culturally and linguistically diverse, people with disability, and individuals in regional, remote, and rural areas.
The TAFE Centre of Excellence Clean Energy Batteries will receive $10 million from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by the Queensland Government.
TAFE NSW Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, TAFE NSW Tighes Hill campus, NSW
The Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence is partnering with industry and universities to support the national transition to clean energy.
The Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, located at the TAFE NSW Tighes Hill campus, will provide high-quality training products to support the national transition of traditional mining, energy and manufacturing industries into cleaner, renewable energy sources.
The Hunter Net Zero Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will receive approximately $28.1 million from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government and $5.3 million in additional funding through the Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence measure.
For more information on this initiative, visit the TAFE NSW website.
TAFE NSW Illawarra Heavy Industry Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, TAFE NSW Wollongong campus, NSW
The Illawarra Heavy Industry Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will deliver targeted training to support a national transition to clean energy.
The Illawarra Heavy Industry Manufacturing Centre of Excellence, located at the TAFE NSW Wollongong campus, will specialise in the delivery of enhanced training in steel manufacturing, defence, and renewable manufacturing to support a positive transition to net zero for all Australians.
The Illawarra Heavy Industry Manufacturing Centre of Excellence will receive approximately $23.5 million from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government..
For more information on this initiative, visit the TAFE NSW website.
Melbourne Polytechnic Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence, Heidelberg, VIC
The Melbourne Polytechnic Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence will deliver industry-relevant and innovative training to uplift the technical and digital skills of traditional construction and engineering trades in modern methods of construction.
The Melbourne Polytechnic Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence, located at the Heidelberg campus, will through affordable and environmentally sustainable construction techniques to help deliver on national housing needs.
The Melbourne Polytechnic Future of Housing Construction Centre of Excellence will receive $25 million from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government.
WA Defence TAFE Centre of Excellence, South Metropolitan TAFE, WA
The WA Defence TAFE Centre of Excellence will provide innovative training to strengthen Australia’s sovereign defence capability.
The WA Defence TAFE Centre of Excellence, located across four South Metropolitan TAFE campuses, will also target activities to improve student completions and advance workers’ knowledge in engineering and advanced manufacturing, preparing them for higher skilled roles in defence industries. The WA Defence TAFE Centre of Excellence will receive $7.3m from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government.
This Centre will help to realise the vision of the recent historic Cooperation Agreement on Defence signed by the Commonwealth and WA Governments to deliver critical future defence capabilities in WA, and through delivering innovative training solutions, Defence Industry Skills CoE will develop the most highly educated and skilled defence industry workforce in the world.
Tasmanian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence, Burnie, TAS
The Tasmanian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence will support new training methodologies for future clean energy industries and technologies.
The Tasmanian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence, located across the TasTAFE Burnie campuses, will focus on construction and maintenance of wind generation and hydro pump technologies to meet local and national needs for a transition to a net zero economy.
The Tasmanian Clean Energy Centre of Excellence will receive $13.20 million from the Commonwealth through the National Skills Agreement, matched by state government and $0.80 million in additional funding through the Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence measure.
