Ryan Park
Minister for Health
Minister for Regional Health
Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast
Steve Whan
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education
MEDIA RELEASE
From the defence frontlines to healthcare: TAFE NSW is training tomorrow's heroes
Monday, 12 May 2025
This International Nurses' Day, we celebrate the dedicated nurses who are in our healthcare system, providing quality care and keeping our communities thriving.
As demand for skilled workers continues to rise, TAFE NSW continues to step up by delivering hands-on training and industry placements to equip a steady pipeline of job-ready workers.
TAFE NSW Diploma of Nursing and Health Services Assistance students can gain invaluable real-world experience through work placements across more than 250 healthcare organisations, including hospitals, aged care homes, and disability care providers, on their pathway to employment as enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing.
TAFE NSW supports school-based trainees completing their Certificate III in Health Services Assistance with 80 hours of placement, while Diploma of Nursing students gain 400 hours of hands-on clinical experience, ensuring they are job-ready from day one.
Ben Verco, a 51-year-old for Army Officer from West Wyalong, is one of the many nursing students benefitting from TAFE NSW's skills-based approach to education and training.
After an incredible 31 years serving in the Australian Army, Ben took a leap of faith - encouraged by his wife - to follow his passion for healthcare. Enrolling the Diploma of Nursing at TAFE NSW Wagga Wagga in March 2024, he says this was the best decision of his life.
Through completing hands-on placements at Carramar Aged Care, Leeton, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital's emergency department and Albury Hospital's surgical ward alongside his studies, Ben is refining his skills, gaining confidence, and embracing the challenged of a new career.
Ben's advice for prospective nursing students is that neither age nor location should hold anyone back.
This International Nurses' Day let's acknowledge the impact of our healthcare professionals and the role TAFE NSW in shaping the future of our workforce - one student at a time.
Minister for Health Ryan Park said:
"Skilled healthcare workers are vital to our state's hospital and allied healthcare settings. Working with hospitals, aged care facilities and disability care providers right across our state, TAFE NSW ensures our healthcare students can gain real-world experience as they complete their training, supporting the next generation of enrolled nurses and assistants in nursing to deliver high-quality care."
Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said:
"TAFE NSW continues to deliver a pipeline of highly skilled healthcare professionals, including nurses, to meet the increasing demand for healthcare workers across our state. Through practical placements providing hands-on training, students are job ready as they enter the workforce, equipped with invaluable real-world experience and training.
"The NSW Skills Plan 2024-2028, the first of its kind since 2008, identifies the care and support economy as a significant contributor to both the NSW workforce and economy. Backed by TAFE NSW nursing courses, students gain the qualifications and practical experience needed to be job-ready for the healthcare sector."
Ben Verco, Diploma of Nursing student at TAFE NSW said:
"Studying with TAFE NSW has given me the skills and confidence to pursue a career I never expected.
"The hospital wards have been the best classroom for applying hands-on skills like monitoring vital signs, administering medications and assisting in emergency situations. Through my placements, I've learned how to adapt to different settings, from emergency departments to aged care, and how important bedside manners are in ensuring patients feel supported and cared for in every interaction."
