Free courses for tourism training set to resupply Tamworth workforce mass loss of staff members

Many businesses have been left short staffed though, as workers who were let go due to financial difficulties over the past two years have not returned - instead seeking more stable employment.

As a result more than 2700 fee-free training places have been made available across 35 short training courses at TAFE and other tertiary education centres.

The announcement was made by the NSW government earlier this month, and it is designed to remove barriers to becoming a qualified tourism sector worker, which is a great idea according to local hospitality mogul Jye Segboer.

"Sometimes training can be a barrier for people if they do need to pay for it, particularly if they're long-term unemployed and are facing those challenges of 'where do I start' or 'how to I get into the workforce'," he said.

"So these sort of courses being offered for free really add value to the hospitality industry which has faced a shortage since COVID.

"Particularly because of international students not being available but also the international workforce not being available."

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While the courses do not run for long, they do provide valuable experience and teach skills that business owners and operators look out for.

Mr Segboer said while people can learn on the job, it is beneficial for them to already have some idea of what they're getting into before they are thrown in the deep end.

"I think it's of great benefit not just for the individuals but also for the businesses, because they can at least come with some knowledge of industry standards, of buzzwords used in the industry," he said.

"So they're going to come into a workplace feeling a lot more comfortable having some form of training."

On top of being free, the TAFE courses will be online which will also be a bonus to aspiring workers.

Mr Segboer believes it will be of most benefit to older workers returning to employment, as it will allow them to manage their work-life balance if they have a family or other commitments.

Then-Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee said around 600,000 staff across the country left their roles during COVID, and the new program will go a long way to addressing that issue.

The available courses cover a wide range of subjects, including outdoor leadership, tourism product design and promotion, hospitality, outdoor recreation, bicycle Servicing, swimming and water safety teacher and infection control. A full list of the courses can be found on the NSW government website.

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