TAFE review suspended to allow panel to deal with coronavirus crisis
NSW Education suspends TAFE review to deal with coronavirus crisis.
NSW
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The NSW government has quietly delayed a wide ranging review of the state’s TAFE sector amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite the Prime Minister’s push to reform the sector to better support Australia’s economic recovery from COVID-19.
It's expected the review, which was set to hand down its findings next month, now won’t report back until next year.
There have been growing calls to fix the vocational education and training (VET) sector, described by the Prime Minister in May as “clunky and unresponsive to skills demands”.
At a speech to the National Press Club last month, Scott Morrison said "we need Australians better trained for the jobs businesses are looking to create," in light of the COVID pandemic.
Mr Morrison said “it’s time to make some changes” to the TAFE sector, such as linking funding to “forward looking skills needs,” simplifying the system, and increasing transparency around funding.
When The Daily Telegraph revealed the NSW government’s TAFE sector review in February, Premier Gladys Berejiklian suggested implementing HECS-style loans for aspiring tradies.
But any changes have now been put off due to the delay.
The Education department’s website states the review “has been temporarily paused while the NSW Government and the Review Panel focus on responding to this unprecedented crisis.”
“It is anticipated that the Review will recommence in late 2020,” the website reads.
Education expert David Gonski and former Howard government public servant Peter Shergold have made no preliminary findings which would allow sooner reform, and any overhaul could be further delayed by changes to the review’s terms of reference.
Global Apprenticeship Network data released this month showed industry is now looking for more apprentices, with job advertisements picking up since the worst of the pandemic. However, vacancy rates are still well below this time last year.
Fee-free short courses announced by the government during the COVID-19 pandemic have attracted more than 100,000 enrolments.
“The VET sector will play a vital role in leading NSW and the nation out of a recession,” Skills and Tertiary Education Minister Geoff Lee said.
“The NSW Government’s review into vocational education and training (VET) is ongoing. It slowed down slightly in April and May due to COVID-19 pandemic.”
A spokesman for Federal Skills minister Michaelia Cash said the review was a matter for the NSW government, but said “skills reform is central to … support Australia’s economic recovery”
“There is a clear urgency to make high quality training accessible for the rapidly increasing number of Australians who need to re-skill and upskill,” the spokesman said.
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