Media release: More nurses, teachers and engineers 20,000 more university places delivered

Media release: More nurses, teachers and engineers 20,000 more university places delivered Main Image

 

THE HON JASON CLARE MP

MINISTER FOR EDUCATION

 

THE HON STEPHEN JONES MP

MINISTER FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES

ASSISTANT TREASURER

 

ALISON BYRNES MP

MEMBER FOR CUNNINGHAM

 

FIONA PHILLIPS MP

MEMBER FOR GILMORE

 

MEDIA RELEASE 

24 October 2022

MORE NURSES, TEACHERS AND ENGINEERS

20,000 MORE UNIVERSITY PLACES DELIVERED

 

The University of Wollongong has been allocated 936 additional university places to train more teachers, nurses and engineers by the Australian Government.

The additional places for the University of Wollongong represents an injection of funding of more than $29 million to train Australians underrepresented at university in areas of skills need.

This is part of delivering on the Albanese Government’s commitment to provide 20,000 extra university places to train more Australians.

It will provide extra places for people studying bachelor and sub-bachelor courses in areas of skills need like education, nursing, health, IT and engineering.

Across the country, higher education providers have been allocated places in the following areas:

  • 4,036 places in education, including 1,469 for teachers in early education
  • 2,600 places in nursing
  • 2,275 in IT
  • 2,740 in health professions like pharmacists, health science and community health
  • 1,738 in engineering.

The remaining courses will be offered in other areas of skills shortage.

The 20,000 additional places will be allocated to students under-represented at Australian universities including those from poorer backgrounds, Indigenous Australians and students from rural and remote Australia.

The extra places will mean more Australians from these backgrounds training to be teachers, nurses, health professionals and engineers.

The additional places nationally will be for students starting next year and in 2024 with an investment of up to $485.5 million over the next four years.

Quotes attributable to Education Minister Jason Clare:

“This means more teachers, nurses and engineers and it means more Australians from poor families and rural and remote Australia doing these jobs. That’s life-changing.”

Quotes attributable to Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips MP:

“This announcement is fantastic news for our community for so many reasons - supporting local people to get a good education, and helping to solve the skills shortage crisis that is hitting our region hard.

“Affordable and equitable access to education is essential to making sure local people can secure good local jobs in areas of need.

“As a former TAFE teacher, I know the difference education can make to disadvantaged sections of our community – it can literally transform lives.

“I will work closely with the university to make sure our regional campuses like Batemans Bay and the Shoalhaven receive our fair share of these places.”