Terry Young (Longman, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business. Will the minister update the House on how the Morrison government is building resilience in Australia's VET system and how this is essential to ensuring a strong economy and a strong future for all Australians, particularly in my electorate of Longman?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Longman for his question. There are 39,000 students in his electorate who are doing vocational education. I know he's very passionate about this area, because in the construction and building industry in particular there are lots of jobs which are required to be filled in the Longman electorate. So I thank him for his passion for this area.

The member for Longman will be very pleased to know that we are modernising the vocational education and training sector—$585 million in our skills package is now rolling out. That's all thanks to our strong economy. Australian businesses will create over 1.25 million jobs over the next five years and we are rolling out a $100 billion infrastructure investment pipeline, and we need the skills to fill these jobs.

Last week, the Prime Minister and the minister announced that Scott Cam will be our first national careers ambassador. I know all on this side are very pleased with this announcement. As an ambassador, he will inspire the next generation of tradies by highlighting how technical training can lead to high-paying and fulfilling jobs. He is proof that a trade can be incredibly valuable, rewarding and successful and that it can be a very, very good career choice. Scott will help Australians of all ages and all stages to make informed decisions about learning, training and work pathways. He will be the public face of our National Careers Institute, which will lead the delivery of high-quality, evidence based career development for Australians so they can make informed decisions about their learning, training and work pathways.

In addition to this, our $585 million skills package includes incentives for up to 80,000 new apprentices and expanded apprentice wage subsidy trials in rural and regional areas. The Morrison government is spending $3 billion in vocational education annually. We know that, in the next four years, over 90 per cent of jobs that will be created will require a tertiary qualification. That's why we're working to ensure that, no matter where in Australia you come from, or what type of career choice you make, you'll get a quality education, especially when it comes to vocational education.

Tanya Plibersek (Sydney, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Education and Training) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Education. Isn't it true that under this government the number of Australians doing an apprenticeship or a traineeship is lower than it was a decade ago? So why has this government cut $3 billion from TAFE and training?

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to thank the shadow minister for this question because it enables me to get a few facts out about those opposite and about what we're doing. Labor cut over $1.2 billion from employer incentives in just two years. The number of apprenticeships and trainee commencements fell by 85,000 in a single year. That is the greatest fall in history. Do you want me to just go through it again? Labor cut $1.2 billion from employer incentives in just two years—

Mr Albanese interjecting—

No, Leader of the Opposition, just so you've got the facts when you ask the next question: the number of apprenticeships and traineeship commencements fell by 85,000 in a single year in 2013—the greatest fall in history. What are we doing? We are fixing your mess. It has taken six years to repair the damage that you created—80,000 new apprentices. Remember what you did with VET FEE-HELP? What an absolute disaster VET FEE-HELP was! We have fixed that mess. We are going to make sure that vocational education is regarded with the same esteem as all other types of education. The Prime Minister is absolutely committed to making sure this happens. We are going to make sure that parents have pride if their children take the path of a vocational education. We will not defund it. We will make sure that parents—

Opposition members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my left.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You defunded it. We are fixing your mess. We are going to ensure, through Scott Cam as an ambassador—through all the other commitments that we have—that, when children leave school, they will look at vocational education with pride and they will know that they will fulfil their careers through vocational education in a worthwhile and meaningful way.

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for McEwen on a point of order?

Rob Mitchell (McEwen, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to ask that the document be tabled, because, in 18 pages of talking points, there's no mention of education.

Government members interjecting—

Tony Smith (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Members on my right will cease interjecting. The member for McEwen heard what I said earlier in question time, very patiently, about frivolous points of order. On two counts, I'm going to ask him to leave under 94(a).

The member for McEwen then left the chamber.