New South Wales SME’s to benefit from $30 million investment in small business upskilling.
Deputy Premier, Minister for Skills and Minister for Small Business, John Barilaro joined the Minister responsible for TAFE NSW Adam Marshall yesterday to announce NSW small businesses and their staff now have access to free business skills training thanks to a new $30 million skills initiative.
Printing Industries Association Australia CEO Andrew Macaulay met with Mr Barilaro to discuss the needs of the print and packaging sector, as PIAA seeeks significant funding and policy changes to support small print and packaging businesses and their staff to upskill through free financial and digital literacy courses.
According to TAFE NSW the most common challenges faced by the small and entrepreneurial business community, are digital awareness, financial literacy, taxation and access to capital.
“Skills for Business will offer NSW SMEs fully subsidised training in digital and financial literacy, cybersecurity and general business management by leveraging TAFE NSW’s strong industry connections and world-class teaching to access training anywhere, anytime and at a pace that suits them” Mr Marshall said.
After his meeting with the Deputy Premier, Mr Macaulay said “We are starting to see traction in our advocacy to Government for re-invigorating TAFE training. This is a win for PIAA and for printers.”
Mr Barilaro said “We need a workforce that will continue to underpin NSW as the nation’s leading economy, and the strongest workforce is one that’s continually learning, upskilling, and keeping up to date with new technologies. Our economy is now the strongest in the nation, and as a government we want to be doing everything we can to support small business owners – the very people who take on great risks, to create job opportunities for others.”
In NSW small businesses represent almost 98 per cent of all NSW businesses. They employ about 1.56 million people – almost half the state’s workforce – and generate $47 billion in annual wages and salaries.
The program is open to all small to medium sized businesses operating within NSW with up to 199 employees, but priority will be given to businesses with fewer than 19 employees