Chamber member Michael Broekman said when the upgrades were finished, it was important that residents looked into how they could upskill.

"The chamber is urging every business, every mum and dad, and every student to consider vocational education as a way of upskilling and utilising these new facilities to make sure we've got them ... moving forward," Mr Broekman said.

"We're encouraging mums and dads to talk to TAFE about the opportunities that could be created for their kids in TVET school-based apprenticeships."

The $3.36 million works will start in about two weeks, according to Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education Geoff Lee.

Read also:

Mr Broekman said he was hoping pre-apprenticeship courses would be added to the ever-growing list of courses available at Gunnedah TAFE.

"Pre-apprenticeship courses are hugely important because [they] ... allow potential students to tap into those skill sets to get themselves job ready for opportunities that could be created in 2020-2021," he said.

"The chamber will be continuing to push the powers that be to look at pre-apprenticeship courses as a way forward for the 16- and 17-year-olds to help to fill the skill shortages once it does rain."

Gunnedah mayor Jamie Chaffey echoed Mr Broekman's comments in May, saying locals needed to "get behind" the TAFE.

"Community support will ensure that we will continue to have a local TAFE with a wide variety of course offerings that service the needs of our community and provide opportunities for local people," he said.

At the time, Cr Chaffey said enrolments at the local campus had increased by 18 per cent since 2018, and Indigenous student numbers by 40 per cent.