Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Payman, for the question. As I've indicated, I'm happy to take the question on notice and provide an update to the senator in due course. But, in the meantime, I can provide a little bit more information about the work that is going on through our fee-free TAFE program to meet some of the needs of both Western Australian employers and employees.

In fact, in Western Australia the most enrolled-in fee-free TAFE courses to 31 March this year included the certificate III in early childhood education and care, with 2,740 enrolments, the certificate III in individual support, with 1,896 enrolments, and the diploma of nursing, with 1,527 enrolments. Obviously, there were many other areas—technology and digital and a range of other areas—but I think it is important to note that the types of skills being sought in regional areas often aren't necessarily in mining or some of the major industries; they're in the services sector and the care sector, and they are what that fee-free TAFE program is helping to deliver.