Local trainees get into work sooner
Thanks to the State Government, pathology trainees like Amelia Tisdell and Sophie English have been allowed to learn skills in their chosen profession and apply them in real time.
Amelia Tisdell, Sophie English and Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch.
19 August 2026
SOPHIE and Amelia are two of 114 apprentices and trainees across the public sector on the Central Coast and Hunter who have benefitted from the commitment to employ an extra 1000 trainees to tackle skills shortages across essential services and create paid career pathways across NSW.
Member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP, spoke of the importance of the commitment.
“More than half of the cohort is based in regional NSW, helping create career opportunities closer to home and supporting local industries and services,” Ms Tesch said.
“It is keeping students in the region where they want to live and stopping the brain drain to the cities.”
Working in the lab at Gosford Hospital while undertaking TAFE courses, Amelia and Sophie have the best of both worlds.
“It has allowed me to build my skills, continue my studies, and learn from experienced professionals within the industry,” Sophie said. “The program has given me a strong foundation for my future career and the confidence to grow and develop within the pathology field.”
Amelia agreed the on-site training has helped progress her career. “Being able to know how behind the scenes of treatment works helps me to appreciate the job all health professionals do and the way they care for their patients; doing this has made pathology have a place in my heart.”
The traineeships have been offered in critical skills areas including electrotechnology, civil construction, plumbing, health services, IT, early childhood education, and more.
Hunter and Central Coast (114) recorded the highest participation of apprentices and trainees, followed by North Coast and Mid North Coast (110), Western NSW (109), and the Riverina (96).
Women account for 45 per cent of the cohort, reflecting growing participation across apprenticeships and traineeships in a broader range of industries.
This is another key election commitment delivered by the Minns Labor Government as it rebuilds TAFE NSW and the vocational education and training (VET) sector.
It is in addition to 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.
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