Prime Minister Kevin Rudd puts TAFE and industry participation on agenda at ALP campaign launch
Mr Rudd hit out at TAFE funding cuts and higher fees in Victoria and announced a three-step rescue plan.
He said states would be required to grow their funding of TAFE. If they did not by July 1, federal Labor would directly fund individual TAFE colleges.
Mr Rudd said if the states "frustrate this ambition", from 2015, he would create and fund a new TAFE Australia Network, redirecting $7 billion of federal money to the states for skills.
The Opposition said this was a power grab resembling his bid to take over hospitals.
Victoria said the move would waste money on more bureaucracy.
The move would be welcome here in Victoria .Our TAFE's play a very valuable role in our future .
Monday, 25 March 2013
AEU welcomes federal TAFE Inquiry announcement
AEU President Angelo Gavrielatos has today welcomed the announcement of a
parliamentary Inquiry into TAFE.
“This is a much needed intervention by the federal parliament – TAFEs across
Australia have suffered savage cuts over the past twelve months, right at the time
when governments at all levels should be doing all they can to support Australians
getting the qualifications they need”, Mr Gavrielatos said today.
“Over the past year, close to 3000 much-needed teaching jobs, and hundreds of
courses in Victoria, NSW and Queensland TAFES have been cut.”
“TAFE qualifications underpin the Australian workforce – there are over 1.2 million
students in TAFEs across the country, many in regional areas. We underestimate
the importance of TAFE at our peril.”
“In regional Australia, TAFEs play an absolutely crucial role in preparing and reskilling people for work. Yet Premier Napthine, representing a rural electorate, is
presiding over cuts to the TAFE system that are forcing amalgamations and closures
of many of Victoria’s regional institutes and small campuses.
“This is the first national inquiry into TAFE in many decades. It gives all the
students, graduates and beneficiaries of the TAFE system the chance to remind
government of the critical role TAFE plays in providing high quality, affordable
vocational education.
“The AEU will be making a strong case to the Inquiry about the particular impact of
policies which result in TAFEs effectively becoming privatised through state
governments’ budget cuts,” Mr Gavrielatos concluded.
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