New Diverse Perspectives at Skills Board

The voice of apprentices and workers will help guide skills policy in the State, with a student and employee representative included for the first time on the NSW Skills Board.

The NSW Government has appointed eight members to the refreshed board, which is tasked with providing independent, strategic advice to the Minister about addressing critical shortages and preparing for the workforce of the future.

The new members bring with them a wide range of expertise across industry, education, vocational education and training, skills, economics and local, state and federal government.

Announced during National Skills Week, the NSW Skills Board is responsible for advising the government on how to meet the skills and training needs of individuals, industry, regions and the economy through the vocational education and training system.

It provides expert, coordinated, strategic advice on workforce challenges and keeps the state’s skills system fit for purpose.

The board members will focus on ensuring skills and tertiary education is innovative, adaptive and responsive to changing economic, regional and workforce needs.

The new appointments follow an extensive review of the board in late 2025 in response to the NSW Skills Plan’s advice to enhance skills and industry governance by providing expert, representative advice on emerging workforce challenges.

The review recommended that the board’s focus areas be refined and new board members appointed.  These members more accurately reflect the diversity of NSW and those that take part in the vocational education and training system.

Dr Michele Bruniges AO brings extensive experience to the position of board chair, having completed the NSW Review of Vocational Education and Training from 2023 to 2024 and more recently a review of the Jobs and Skills Australia Act for the Federal Government.

Other new members are:
•    Deputy Chair: Daniel Hunter, Business NSW chief executive officer.
•    Employee representative: Thomas Costa, Unions NSW assistant secretary and State Super SAS Trustee Corporation board non-executive director.
•    Student representative: Bridie Searle, former Australian Trainee of the Year and NSW Trainee of the Year; Thales Australia facilities assets and maintenance coordinator and training and capability coordinator.
•    Member: Annabel Crookes, Laing O’Rourke Australia director of legal and risk, Australian Constructors Association president.
•    Member: Justin Brooker, Woomera Group managing director.
•    Member: Nicki Hutley, independent consulting economist, Climate Council councillor, Customer-Owned Banking Association chief economic advisor.
•    Member: Jeff Whitton, OCTEC Limited chair, Marathon Health founding director, Yirigaa Pty Ltd and Yirigaa Pathways Limited co-founder and director.