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VET & TAFE
History has shown that private providers do not provide the skilled and highly qualified workforce to meet the needs of a changing economy .
AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe . Photo : AAP / Kelly Barnes
TAFE ' most trusted '
AEU accuses productivity commission of putting profits above TAFE ’ s future .
By Wade Zaglas
The Australian Education Union
( AEU ) has submitted its response to the latest Productivity Commission National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development Review Interim Report , providing a scathing review of the sector ’ s current situation .
The union contends that the new national agreement privileges private providers and fails to guarantee TAFE ’ s future as the “ pre-eminent public provider of high quality ” vocational education and training across Australia .
In its submission to the review process , the union highlighted what it believes to be “ the abject failure of a decade of VET marketisation , contestability and privatisation by governments at all levels , and the catastrophic damage it has wrought on this sector ”.
To highlight this , the union pointed to a number of actions it argues have had a detrimental effect on the sector ’ s ability to offer high-quality teaching and learning :
• A 15 per cent cut to VET funding from 2006 to 2017 .
• TAFE enrolments declining steadily in recent times , from 800,000 enrolments in 2015 to 680,000 in 2017 .
• More than 4,600 current registered training providers , despite only 96 of these having a student cohort of over 100 .
• States , territories and the commonwealth “ spent a combined total of $ 6.1 billion on vocational education , a decrease of $ 135 million when compared to 2017 ”.
• Commonwealth contributions to all vocational education plunged by $ 326 million in 2018 ( 10.6 per cent ), and commonwealth contributions to public VET delivery dropped even further , by 23.2 per cent in the same year .
• The total of government-funded vocational education students has declined by nearly 17 per cent since 2012 across all states and territories . However , for TAFE , the situation was even worse , as student numbers dropped by 25 per cent over the same period . On the other hand , students enrolled in subjects offered by private providers increased between 2017 and 2018 by 4.9 per cent to 2.5 million .
• At the same time , VET student numbers have decreased by 1.5 per cent between 2017 and 2018 to 4.1 million people .
AEU federal president Correna Haythorpe said the interim report ’ s focus on providing private training providers more access to public VET funding was “ appalling ” and warned it would jeopardise Australian workers ’ and apprentices ’ ability “ to access high-quality public vocational education at a time when they are most urgently needed to help rebuild the economy ”.
“ The COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the urgent need for qualified workers across all industries to be able to adapt quickly to new opportunities when they arise ,” Haythorpe said .
“ TAFE is the only institution with the infrastructure , the workforce and the trusted reputation to be able to provide high quality VET qualifications across the country today .
“ TAFE is Australia ’ s most trusted brand when it comes to the public provision of vocational education and training . The community knows , understands and values TAFE for what it is and what it offers . The Morrison Government has shown time and time again that it does not .”
Haythorpe went on to say that governments must prioritise investment in TAFE and help “ ensure that it is the centrepiece of rebuilding Australia ’ s economy ”.
“ History has shown that private providers do not provide the skilled and highly qualified workforce to meet the needs of a changing economy ,” she said . Furthermore , Haythorpe believes the Morrison government should resituate TAFE at the forefront of the “ economic recovery process through immediate investment in infrastructure , equipment , staffing and programs ”.
“ TAFE offers high quality vocational education at all levels , with nationally accredited programs , a highly qualified and experienced workforce , campuses across Australia , and it has the trust and respect of employers and the community ,” she added .
“ A strong , fully-funded TAFE sector must be at the centre of the Commonwealth ’ s response post COVID-19 so that Australia emerges in the best-possible social and economic condition .” ■
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