Former education boss brings the skills to TAFE revival

A former teacher who rose through the ranks to oversee a $60 billion education budget will lead a review aimed at restoring TAFE to the heart of skills training.

The NSW government has announced a year-long evaluation of its vocational sector led by former federal education department secretary Michele Bruniges.

It comes after a federal inquiry into the poor public perception of TAFE was told there was a "clear and urgent need" to rebuild its respect nationally.

Dr Bruniges, herself a former maths and TAFE teacher, said vocational education must cater to all walks of life.

"I have seen the incredible impact of vocational education on our learners and want to ensure that we have a system in place that supports everyone to succeed, no matter their background," she said in a statement on Friday.

The review's expert panel will include former Aboriginal Affairs NSW boss Jason Ardler and UTS pro vice-chancellor Verity Firth, a former Labor education minister.

The trio each bring a deep understanding of TAFE and the NSW vocational education and training system (VET) with knowledge of different student pathways and cohorts, the government said.

The review will include a skills summit of experts, stakeholders and students.

The number of TAFE NSW teachers nearly halved between 2012 and 2022 while enrolments and completions have also fallen significantly, the government said.

The Minns NSW government this week also accused its predecessor of underfunding TAFE, after noticing a $200 million cut in 2023/24 funding.

Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Minister Tim Crakanthorp said TAFE had faced many challenges over the past decade.

Under the coalition government, 17 campuses and annexes were sold off amid a restructuring that involved the establishment of a super campus in western Sydney and regional facilities.

Mr Crakanthorp said the new review would go further than the sector review of 2021, focusing on rebuilding TAFE while addressing skills shortages and improving access and support for learners.

"Now is the time to take stock of what is working and what is not, so we can ensure that VET is best serving the needs of our state now and into the future," he said.

An interim report is due by December 31, with the full report due in mid-2024.