Jobs summit: Call to widen $1bn TAFE deal to private colleges

The Albanese government is being urged to extend a $1bn investment in 180,000 free TAFE places to ­private training providers.

Anthony Albanese. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The Albanese government is being urged to extend a $1bn investment in 180,000 free TAFE places to ­private training providers, after national cabinet approved the package to help alleviate the skills crisis.

Anthony Albanese unveiled the 50-50 funding deal with the states to kick-off his government’s jobs summit at Parliament House on Thursday, saying it recognised the “urgent challenges facing our nation” through a “training blitz driven by public TAFE”.

“We want to see more Australians gaining the skills they need to find good jobs in areas of national priority,” the Prime Minister said.

The 180,000 places will be available in 2023, comprising 120,000 existing TAFE places to be made free and 60,000 new ones. Of the new places, 45,000 are completely new and formed part of Labor’s fee-free TAFE election commitment to provide 465,000 fee-free places.

Another 15,000 are aged-care places announced in the Morrison government’s March budget through its JobTrainer fund.

Government sources said those places – which under JobTrainer were free and low-fee paying at TAFE and private colleges – had been “repurposed”.

The free courses on offer won’t be decided until later in September but will target industries with skills shortages and support women, young Australians and First ­Nations people.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley said private training providers had been “ignored” by the government and questioned whether the investment was a new commitment or an extension of the $2.1bn JobTrainer scheme, which started in October 2020 and was a joint initiative with the states.

“Worryingly, Mr Albanese’s announcement seems to only support public training providers, when we know industry-led training organisations do the lion’s share of skills training,” Ms Ley, who is also the opposition’s industry, skills and training spokeswoman, told The Australian.

She also lashed the lack of detail, questioning whether it would apply to every TAFE across the country and be a payment to the states that “didn’t filter down to the classroom”.

Skills and Training Minister Brendan O’Connor said the Albanese government recognised the urgency of the skills crisis facing the nation, which was why it collaborated with state and territory skills ministers to “strengthen the TAFE sector and bring forward 180,000 fee-free TAFE places”.

Independent Tertiary Education Council Australia chief executive Troy Williams said the commitment to funding extra training places was welcome but directing funding exclusively towards TAFE “doesn’t always produce the best results for students, employers or taxpayers”.

Toll Global Express chief executive Christine Holgate said many logistics sector workers were recruited from TAFE as she endorsed further investment in their education and careers. “I believe we have considerable available labour here, but many do not have the skills we need or their qualifications are not recognised,” she said. “We must continue to plan for the long term, in partnerships with universities and training organisations to ensure Australia has skills for our future.”

Australian Education Union federal president Correna Haythorpe said TAFE was the “best place” to ensure workers gained the skills and knowledge required to fill workforce gaps. “With funding and investment … TAFE can continue to provide high quality vocational education to help Australia rebuild following the pandemic, address skills shortages in labour markets and help ensure our future economic security.”