Seven Aboriginal-controlled training organisations are partnering with Federal and NSW Governments to deliver a landmark $100 million investment in First Nations vocational education — and the AbSec Learning and Development Centre is proud to be one of them.
The AbSec LDC was part of the group that helped design the Stage 2 Implementation Plan, and will be a delivery partner through to December 2028. That means we don’t just have a seat at the table — we helped build it.
The investment targets what actually changes outcomes: $83.4 million to strengthen ACCO RTOs across training quality, student support, governance and community-based delivery, plus $7.6 million to grow the First Nations VET teaching workforce. Real resources, directed where they’re needed most.
The LDC sits within AbSec — the NSW peak body for Aboriginal child and family services — which ensures our training is always connected to what’s happening on the ground. We’re constantly listening to the sector, and that shapes everything we deliver. Through Stage 2, we’ll be focused on:
• Accredited and short courses targeting real skill gaps in child and family community services
• Training that integrates Indigenous knowledge and builds genuinely culturally responsive practice
• Holistic support pathways for Aboriginal students, especially those with lived experience of the care and protection system
• Broader capability building across the NSW sector
“As the training arm of the NSW peak body for Aboriginal child and family services, our strategy is directly informed by AbSec’s policy work, community relationships and advocacy’” says Alira Tufui, Director of Sector Innovations.
“Our training is informed by the sector, shaped by community knowledge and guided by the wisdom of Elders and people working across ACCOs. Through our connection to the NSW peak body, we are constantly listening to, and capturing, the needs emerging across the sector, ensuring our training reflects the real challenges organisations face and the skills the workforce needs to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, families and communities.”
The overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in the child protection system won’t change without a skilled, culturally grounded workforce behind it. This investment is a serious step toward building that — and the AbSec LDC is ready to deliver.