Three weeks ago, as thousands of people across NSW faced sudden unemployment and an uncertain future, TAFE NSW announced that 21 online courses would be made free to access so people could upskill and glow-up their CV while in iso. Training was offered across a range of useful vocational topics including administrative skills, medical industries, and advanced management techniques. The uptake of these fee-free courses far surpassed the state government’s expectations, with more than 85,000 people signing up.
Given this overwhelming response, TAFE NSW is now releasing 13 more free courses, which anyone across the state will be able to access online from April 30. These will focus largely on digital skills, from cybersecurity and maintenance of simple websites to creative imaging training, basic coding, and social media management.
The courses on offer have been picked based on the kinds of vital skills expected to be in high demand once Australians are allowed to return to work. The state has already begun preparing for a return to some level of normality this week, as the daily tally of new cases continues to flatten and thinking about the process of reinvigorating the economy begins. NSW residents will be allowed to visit each other in their homes from May 1, schools will begin a phased reopening and retailers will be allowed to reopen while offering enhanced sanitation measures to customers. In the 24-hour period between April 29 - 30, more than 7,700 people in NSW were tested – the largest number of people screened in a single day since the crisis began – and just two new cases diagnosed.