Glenn Sterle (WA, 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. We know that increasing the skills of Australians is a key part of the Albanese government's plan to lift productivity. How is the government's fee-free TAFE initiative helping to build the future workforce and give Australians the skills and training they need to harness the jobs and opportunities of the future, and what has been the uptake of fee-free TAFE courses so far?

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

Thank you very much, Senator Sterle. I know that you're a very strong supporter of the TAFE system in your home state of Western Australia. When the Albanese government was elected just over 12 months ago, it was clear that not only had we inherited a trillion dollars of Liberal and Nationals debt with nothing to show for it but also, after a decade in government, they had left behind a massive skills deficit. There used to be 153 occupations on the skills shortage list in Australia, but under those opposite it jumped to 286, almost double.

According to the OECD, Australia is experiencing the second most severe labour shortage in the developed world. It is an embarrassing legacy of a decade of coalition government. Projections are that nine out of every 10 new jobs over the next five years will need a post-school qualification. The Albanese government recognises the urgency of the skills crisis facing our nation. Strong and accessible higher education and vocational education and training sectors are crucial to tackling this skill shortage. It's also vital to boosting Australia's productivity. Our government has a plan to make our economy stronger and more productive so that we can lift incomes and lift living standards, because we don't want Australians to have to work harder for less money.

That's why we took immediate action after the election by bringing together Australians, unions, employers and civil society at the Jobs and Skills Summit and by working with state and territory governments to fund 180,000 fee-free TAFE places in 2023. I am pleased to update the Senate that in the first quarter of 2023 the Albanese government has supported almost 150,000 Australians to enrol in fee-free TAFE. The most popular courses have been in skills priority areas like early childhood education, nursing, support work, cybersecurity and construction. We have also seen a strong uptake by women, while more than 25,000 students currently enrolled in fee-free TAFE are from households that speak a language other than English at home. This marks the start of a once-in-a-generation reform of the TAFE and VET sector. (Time expired)

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

Senator Sterle, a first supplementary?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We know access to education and training for students and workers to reskill or upskill in areas of demand can be life changing. It also increases the likelihood of a good, secure job with career progression. How is the fee-free TAFE initiative helping students to access training while also providing cost-of-living relief?

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

Thanks again, Senator Sterle. The government's fee-free TAFE and VET plan is helping to reduce cost-of-living pressures, with students saving thousands of dollars on course fees while upgrading their skills. To give you a few examples, students undertaking a Diploma of Early Childhood Education and Care in Victoria are up to $8,700 better off. Students undertaking a Diploma of Nursing in Western Australia—your home state, Senator Sterle—are up to $10,451 better off. Students studying a Diploma of Building and Construction in South Australia are up to $10,600 better off. Students undertaking a Diploma of Information Technology (Cyber Security) in New South Wales are up to $4,060 better off with fee-free TAFE. Students undertaking a Diploma of Agriculture in my home state of Queensland are up to $4,500 better off. It is the same throughout the rest of Australia. In Tasmania, students studying landscape construction are over $2,000 better off. Students studying cybersecurity in the ACT are over $3,000 better off. In the Northern Territory, students are over $3,000 better off— (Time expired)

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

Senator Sterle, a second supplementary?

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, we know not everyone supports our plans to deliver cost-of-living relief to students and opportunities to train in areas of high demand. What has been the response to our fee-free TAFE policy?

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

You would think that the ability to deliver the skills that Australians need, the productivity improvements the economy needs and cost-of-living relief would be something that everyone in this chamber could get behind. But according to the Deputy Leader of the Opposition and shadow minister for skills and training, Ms Ley, fee-free TAFE is 'wasteful spending'. I suppose that shouldn't be surprising given the coalition had cut more than $3 billion out of the TAFE system since 2013. You can't take that much money out of TAFE and then complain about a skills shortage. But, of course, that's exactly what the coalition are doing.

When comparing the Treasurer's budget speech and the opposition leader's budget reply speech last month, it was very clear who actually cares about upskilling Australians. On this side, we spoke about creating 300,000 fee-free TAFE places to train Australians in critical and emerging sectors. The opposition leader didn't mention TAFE once. When they are in power they cut funding to TAFE; when they are out of power they say it's wasteful spending. We are getting on with the job. (Time expired)