Fed Labor outlines free TAFE plan

DEPUTY Leader of the Federal Labor Party, Richard Marles, joined the Member for Ballarat Catherine King at Federation University on Tuesday to further outline the opposition’s plan to make some TAFE courses free.

After touring local manufacturer MaxiTrans earlier in the morning, the Mr Marles said the plan would preference those studying jobs impacted by skill shortages.

“In that company alone, they were talking about today needing to find 34 welders to meet their requirements,” he said.

Mr Marles said the plan aims to solve the “skills crisis” across the country, with a reported 15 per cent drop in trainees and apprentices in Ballarat contributing to the loss of 70,000 entry-level workers in Australia since 2013.

“In that period of time we’ve seen a growth in population, we’ve seen a growth in the economy, and yet the number of trainees and apprentices has been going backwards,” Mr Marles said.

Ms King said the plan was a response to the impact of the COVID pandemic, and that it indicated a need to strengthen the Australian jobs market.

“We need to make more things here,” she said. “We need to train more Australians to make things here and we need to concentrate on actually reinvigorating our training system.”

Vice-chancellor and president at Federation Uni, Professor Duncan Bentley, there was a need attract more school leavers to regional areas and to upskill experienced workers so that they can adapt to workforce changes.

He also said government investment is essential to the wellbeing of public tertiary education.

“As we move into a modern manufacturing era, they need to put their money where their mouths are,” Professor Bentley said.