IR reform needed to get more people into training: review

Robert Bolton and Andrew Tillett

Jan 21, 2021 – 12.15am

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State governments should give TAFEs autonomy over industrial relations to get better value for the $6.4 billion in taxpayers' money that pours into the training sector, which remains so divided and unco-ordinated that one former managing director of NSW TAFE described conditions as "archaic".

The recommendation is part of the final report of the Productivity Commission on a new national agreement between the states and Canberra to revamp the Vocational Education and Training (VET) sector.

Robert Bolton is the Education editor. He covers primary and secondary education, universities and training.

Andrew Tillett writes on politics, foreign affairs, defence and security from the Canberra press gallery.