Horticulture apprentice Sophie Gulland of Blackheath is delighted to be working at Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens Mt Tomah, one of the 270 apprentices and trainees in the Mountains and Western Sydney tackling the skills shortages across the state.
Western Sydney and Blue Mountains recorded the largest share of apprentices and trainees, followed by Central and Northern Sydney (119), Hunter and Central Coast (114), North Coast and Mid North Coast (110),Western NSW (109), Riverina (96), Illawarra and South East NSW (96), Southern and South Western Sydney (86) and New England (56).
The Minns Labor government has reached a milestone moment - delivering on an election commitment to employ an extra 1000 apprentices and trainees across the public sector, helping tackle skills shortages across essential services and create paid career pathways across NSW. And Ms Gulland is one of them.
Ms Gulland, 41, is 18 months into a four-year apprenticeship, and hopes to be able to work as a fully qualified horticulturalist at the Gardens when she finishes.
“I can’t believe how lucky I am to be working at Mt Tomah,” she said.
“This apprenticeship is the best thing I have ever done; I love working outdoors in nature, shaping and nurturing plants into the most beautiful versions of themselves. I enjoy the conservation aspect of working for the Botanic Gardens, knowing that our work contributes to scientific research and innovation.”
Blue Mountains MP Trish Doyle said she is pleased that the Blue Mountains, combined with Western Sydney, is leading the way in terms of technical and further education.
“I have always been a strong supporter of TAFE and the apprenticeship and trainee programs,” Ms Doyle said.
“These training pathways balance on the job experience with knowledge and support within their chosen industry. It also helps ensure we have the workers we need in these important industries in the future.
“It’s through traineeships and apprenticeships that people like Sophie get to pivot and take a chance on a new career.”
Industries for the 270 Western Sydney and Blue Mountains apprentices and trainees include Electrotechnology, Health, IT, Conservation and Ecosystem management, project management, and cyber security.
Ms Gulland, a former photographer, said the best thing about her apprenticeship has been learning something new every day.
“Starting an apprenticeship at 40 years old with everything to learn could have felt daunting, but it has been liberating. Whether it is pruning hydrangeas, driving a tractor or planting a Wollemi pine, I am having all these new experiences in an incredibly supportive environment.
"My apprenticeship is structured in a way that I spend weeks at a time in a particular part of the garden or with a particular team. I do a lot of weeding, pruning, feeding and planting. I’ll spend time working with the turf guys, learning to maintain lawns, and with the arborists, assessing tree health and learning chainsaw operation. There are also a lot of exciting off-site opportunities too, like wild seed collecting and heavy machinery training.”
Ms Gulland said she has been buoyed by the “ongoing practical [administrative] support from my post placement support officer, Susie” who has helped with accessing student loans and more.
“She has been an invaluable resource. Her support has removed many of the barriers that can make returning to study challenging and has played a significant role in helping me stay confident, engaged, and on track.”
Premier Chris Minns said: “When we came to government, we inherited a skills crisis after more than a decade of cuts and neglect. This is just one step along the path to boosting the value of vocational education and rebuilding TAFE.”
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:
“We said we would employ an extra 1000 apprentices and trainees and we’ve delivered. More than three quarters of these roles are aligned to critical skills areas including construction and infrastructure, net zero and energy transition, healthcare, digital, and advanced manufacturing. These are real jobs, real skills and real career pathways helping build the workforce NSW needs now and into the future.”
Minister Whan said the 1000 apprenticeships was another key election commitment delivered by Labor as it rebuilds TAFE NSW and the vocational education and training (VET) sector, alongside establishing three TAFE Manufacturing Centres of Excellence, guaranteeing long-term funding certainty for TAFE NSW, and undertaking the first comprehensive review of the VET sector in more than a decade.
MEDIA: Alex Lewis | Premier | 0438 437 300
Kellie Dillon | Minister Whan | 0447 907 809
Brenda Cunningham-Lewis | Trish Doyle | MP 02 47513298 [email protected]
