Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Skills and Training, Senator Watt. This week, we celebrate National TAFE Day, a time to highlight the achievements of our public TAFE system and help raise the perceptions of TAFE in our vocational education and training sector. I note that, at the beginning of last year, OECD data identified Australia as having the second-highest labour shortage amongst OECD countries. There's never been a more important time to invest in and value our vocational education and training sector. How is the Albanese Labor government helping to put TAFE at the heart of Australia's VET sector?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator O'Neill, who I know has a very longstanding commitment to the public TAFE institutions in her state of New South Wales. Studying at TAFE has provided a pathway to a rewarding career for millions of Australians. There are so many career paths to choose from. Not only does it deliver great jobs; TAFE also helps to meet demand for skilled workers right across Australia.

Upon entering government, we were immediately struck by the skills shortage that we inherited. Is it any wonder given the billions of dollars of cuts made to TAFE under the leadership of people like Senator Cash? Over those 10 years it was, 'Cut, cut, cut.' No wonder we had that skills shortage!

OECD data identified Australia as having the second-highest labour shortage amongst OECD countries—the second-highest labour shortage amongst OECD countries! That is the legacy of a decade of coalition government and cuts to TAFE. The skills priority list, which shows what occupations are in shortage, nearly doubled. It jumped from 153 to 286 in a year. What a mess! It's just another mess from the coalition government. That's why we took immediate action and brought together Australians, unions, employers and civil society at the Jobs and Skills Summit and worked with state and territory governments to fund 180,000 fee-free TAFE places in 2023. I'm very pleased to advise the chamber that we have already smashed that target.

That's not all we're doing to support TAFE. The Albanese government is committed to ensuring that at least 70 per cent of Commonwealth VET funding goes to public TAFE. We support TAFE. We don't cut it, like we saw under the coalition. We're also delivering $50 million through the TAFE Technology Fund to improve IT facilities, workshops, laboratories and telehealth simulators across the country. We're working together to achieve better outcomes for students and to deliver more access and equity for the VET sector. We're backing TAFE.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, first supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you very much, Minister, for that important response. At the Jobs and Skills Summit last year, which you just mentioned, the Albanese government committed to accelerate the delivery of fee-free TAFE places, with 180,000 places to be delivered this year. How is the Albanese Labor government increasing access to TAFE places and how are enrolments tracking in fee-free TAFE?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm very glad you asked, Senator O'Neill, because the Albanese government's plan to train, retrain or upskill Australians and tackle skill shortages is a monumental success, with more than 180,000 fee-free TAFE enrolments in the first six months. The Prime Minister and the Minister for Skills and Training visited Bentley TAFE in Perth just last week to announce that in the first six months about 215,000 Australians have enrolled for a fee-free course. Our target was 180,000. We've smashed it by achieving 215,000, and that's six months earlier than anticipated. It's nearly 35,000 places more than expected. That's 215,000 people who are accessing high-quality training—

Sarah Henderson (Victoria, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Education) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is that like you smashed the economy?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I know Senator Henderson is not happy to hear this good news about fee-free TAFE places and the number of Australians taking them up, because she and her colleagues wanted to cut TAFE when they had the opportunity. More than 51,000 students have enrolled in courses across health care, aged care and disability care. Many more in early childhood education and many more in digital courses— (Time expired)

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator O'Neill, second supplementary?

Deborah O'Neill (NSW, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Minister Watt. The opportunities afforded by fee-free study can change lives and the economy for the better. We know that nine out of 10 future jobs will require post-school qualifications and four of those will require vocational level training. Minister, what has been the response to our policies to rebuild TAFE and put TAFE at the centre of our VET sector?

Murray Watt (Queensland, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator O'Neill. As you would expect, everyone who actually cares about dealing with the skill shortage in this country and anyone who cares about backing TAFE has been very positive about these policies. Unfortunately, there are some people who don't share those views. After 10 years of neglect it's, quite frankly, a relief and essential for the future of this nation that a party that believes in the value of education and training is back in charge. Those opposite never respected TAFE and the VET sector under their watch.

You asked what the response has been to our policies. If left to those opposite, they would deprive thousands of students and workers of our fee-free opportunity and cost-of-living relief. In fact, the Deputy Leader of the Opposition called fee-free TAFE 'wasteful spending'. That's what the opposition thinks about fee-free TAFE and giving more skills to Australians—'wasteful spending'. Guess what decade it was when the Leader of the Opposition last said the word 'TAFE' in parliament? It wasn't this decade or the last decade. It was in 2004, over 19 years ago. They don't care about TAFE and they don't care about skills.