Crunch time has arrived for many Illawarra school leavers.
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Many students have already obtained early entry into a university course of their choosing.
But others are waiting to see how they went in their HSC before deciding their next course of action.
The University Admissions Centre (UAC) will release ATAR results on Tuesday, December 17 - the same day as HSC results - to give Year 12 students time to review their preferences before offers are released.
TAFE NSW regional general manager, Jonathan Davis said university was a viable option for some school leavers.
But he added it was just as important that vocational education and training was considered a 'plan A' for school leavers to pursue careers in areas that they were passionate about.
Mr Davis urged school leavers to take advantage of fee-free training to equip them with the skills they need to secure jobs with local employers who are crying out for qualified employees.
The NSW Business Chamber 2019 Workforce Skills Survey has reported that 61.8 per cent of businesses with skills shortages are unable to recruit suitable staff and that they are carrying more job vacancies in 2019 compared to 2017.
Across the Illawarra region nursing, commercial cookery, butchery and community services are just some of the industries experiencing ongoing skills shortages.
"TAFE NSW works closely with industry to ensure that we're delivering a pipeline of skilled employees who are equipped with the practical skills and work experience that employers are looking for," he said.
Mr Davis also reassured school leavers that regardless of their ATAR, there were a range of degrees and pathways to higher education available at TAFE.
Mountain View Meats Woonoona owner Troy Jones, whose son recently graduated from butchery at TAFE NSW Wollongong West, thought it was a good timing to encourage school leavers to understand the range of career opportunities in the Illawarra.
"This is a fantastic industry, and once you have butcher skills they can take you around the world. One of our apprentices is now managing a large store in London," Mr Jones said.
"There's a real demand for butchers, I have other stores phoning to ask if I know of anyone looking for work.
"Being in this industry you're always talking with people so it's great for communication skills and it's not a hard job."