Filipino nurses train in Cleve under South Australia's apprenticeship partnership with TESDA

SBS Filipino reports that Filipino nurses are completing apprenticeships in Cleve, South Australia, through a partnership between the South Australian Skills Commission and the Philippines' TESDA, which the commission's Cameron Baker calls the first of its kind.

Filipino nurses are currently completing their apprenticeship in Cleve, South Australia, under a program built through close collaboration between the South Australian Skills Commission and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) in the Philippines, SBS Filipino reported on 30 October.

The commission's Cameron Baker told SBS Filipino that the partnership between South Australia and TESDA is the first of its kind. SBS described it as the very first apprenticeship program between the Philippines and Australia, and noted that permanent employment can be made possible through an apprenticeship.

How the pathway works

The Philippine Times reported in May that the first Filipino nurses had arrived in regional South Australia under the Global Apprenticeship Program pilot. The pilot lets internationally trained nurses work as Assistants in Nursing while they complete a traineeship towards becoming Enrolled Nurses.

The first participants were welcomed to Cleve, on the Eyre Peninsula, with more expected to arrive in the coming months, the paper said. The program is led by the Skills Commission in partnership with local government, health services, training providers and multicultural settlement specialists.

“We are delighted to welcome five new trainee ENs to Cleve… Initiatives like this help us strengthen our skilled workforce, supporting safe, high-quality care close to home,” Eyre and Far North Local Health Network CEO Julie Marron said at the time.

The agreement behind it

On 17 April 2026, Baker signed a Memorandum of Understanding with TESDA Director General Jose Francisco “Kiko” Bantug Benitez, setting a framework for long-term cooperation on skills recognition, training alignment and workforce mobility. South Australia also hosted 25 TESDA representatives for a capability-building program funded by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

“This MOU shows the commitment that South Australia and the Philippines are making together, to be partners of choice as we help each other build our standards of vocational education and training, and to develop the skills of our workforce,” Baker said.

The Skills Commission is also extending similar approaches to construction, automotive and the care economy, according to The Philippine Times.

Subscribe to newsletter