Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) 19 June 2018 is National TAFE Day, and

  (ii) the day is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of the public TAFE system;

(b) further notes that:

  (i) since 2005, Government Vocational and Education Training (VET) funding has declined by 32 per cent, and

  (ii) the share of publicly-funded students taught at TAFE has fallen from 81 per cent in 2009 to 50 per cent in 2015;

(c) recognises that TAFE is a cornerstone of Australia’s vocational education and training sector, and that its position and status within the sector is diminished when it is inadequately funded;

(d) acknowledges that TAFE should never be considered a competitor to the for-profit registered training operators, but has its own important function within the sector and the community more broadly; and

(e) calls on the Government to ensure that TAFEs are always fully-funded and publicly-owned, now and into the future.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

Sue Lines (WA, Deputy-President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is the responsibility of the states and territories to fund TAFE and invest in TAFE facilities. The coalition government is leading the way with the Skilling Australians Fund. We've put $1.5 billion on the table for the states to invest in areas of need for skills training. To date, five states and territories have signed up. Each year the coalition government invests a further $1.5 billion under a special purpose payment to the states, effectively for them to use to support the vocational education and training sector. We want to see the states increasing their funding in vocational education and training, investing in apprentices and trainees, and helping us to deliver up to 300,000 new apprentices during the five-year program.

Question agreed to.