❓ The Premier highlights the Cook Labor government's investment in skills and TAFE, contrasting it with the previous government's record. Focus is on increased enrolments, free TAFE, and benefits to the building, construction, and human services sectors.
AnsweredQoN 12Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Training and skills
12. Ms Divina D'Anna to the Premier :
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's ongoing investment in skills and TAFE.
(1) Can the Premier advise the house how this
record investment is helping equip Western Australia with the skills we need
today and in the future?
(2) Can the Premier outline to the house how
quality training will help keep WA's economy the strongest in the nation?
12. Ms Divina D'Anna to the Premier :
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's ongoing investment in skills and TAFE.
(1) Can the Premier advise the house how this
record investment is helping equip Western Australia with the skills we need
today and in the future?
(2) Can the Premier outline to the house how
quality training will help keep WA's economy the strongest in the nation?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for the
question—it is an important one. If investment is the fuel for our
economy, then workforce is the spark that fires the engine of our economy.
This morning, I joined the
Minister for Skills and TAFE in visiting students at the North Metropolitan
TAFE in Balga. The Balga campus is a hub for the building and construction
training sector and has seen generations of builders, contractors and
tradespeople go through that particular facility. Its class of 2025 is the
first to enjoy the $51 million in upgrades to that campus. Among the upgrades
is the new construction skills innovation hub. It is a world-class facility
that is equipping apprentice after apprentice with much-needed building and
construction skills. It was there I met WA's next generation of homebuilders,
like Ruby, a third-year tiling apprentice who will be qualified at the end of
the year, or Max, a fourth-year bricklaying apprentice who has followed in his
dad's footsteps as a builder. These individuals are benefiting from the WA
Labor government's free TAFE program. They are among a record number of
students enrolling in TAFE courses across the state.
This year, enrolments have
surged. The year 2024 achieved a new record high of around 165,000 enrolments.
More than 46,000 of these enrolments were by students in fee-free TAFE qualifications
and skill sets. The biggest growth in enrolments was in the building and
construction courses, up almost 260% on the year before. We have seen extraordinary
growth also in care and early childhood education courses. These are the
workers that we need right now. These are the workers who will power our
residential construction industry, our commercial construction industry and the
growth in our human services area, particularly in early childhood education
and care and in disability care. We are also creating new facilities that will
train our emerging defence, manufacturing and clean energy workforces.
Some new members in the chamber
may not be aware of the previous government's TAFE legacy. I am sure that
members of Parliament will be pleased if I take some time now just to explain
how TAFE fared under the Liberal–National government. It cut TAFE
infrastructure investment. It watched apprenticeship and traineeship numbers
absolutely collapse. The most disgraceful part of its policies was an increase
in course fees of up to 510%. It is little wonder that in the wake of that
neglect, Mr Speaker, enrolments in TAFE dropped by around 120,000. Can you
believe that any state government would take steps to actually reduce the
workforce that is available to our industries and reduce the opportunities for
young Western Australians to get a quality job? It was a shameful chapter in
our education and training history and it has taken a great deal of
determination to turn it around, but today's enrolment data represents a 40%
increase on that low ebb in our training history.
Talk to any industry and it will
tell us that workforce demands and workforce availability are amongst its greatest
challenges at the moment. Training the workforce that we need is part of our
plan to keep WA the strongest economy in the nation. Free TAFE is a critical
part of that plan. Free TAFE courses provide not only affordable career pathways
for young Western Australians, but also a pipeline of skilled workers for our
industries, a boost to our capacity to make more things here and support for a
future that is made in WA.
question—it is an important one. If investment is the fuel for our
economy, then workforce is the spark that fires the engine of our economy.
This morning, I joined the
Minister for Skills and TAFE in visiting students at the North Metropolitan
TAFE in Balga. The Balga campus is a hub for the building and construction
training sector and has seen generations of builders, contractors and
tradespeople go through that particular facility. Its class of 2025 is the
first to enjoy the $51 million in upgrades to that campus. Among the upgrades
is the new construction skills innovation hub. It is a world-class facility
that is equipping apprentice after apprentice with much-needed building and
construction skills. It was there I met WA's next generation of homebuilders,
like Ruby, a third-year tiling apprentice who will be qualified at the end of
the year, or Max, a fourth-year bricklaying apprentice who has followed in his
dad's footsteps as a builder. These individuals are benefiting from the WA
Labor government's free TAFE program. They are among a record number of
students enrolling in TAFE courses across the state.
This year, enrolments have
surged. The year 2024 achieved a new record high of around 165,000 enrolments.
More than 46,000 of these enrolments were by students in fee-free TAFE qualifications
and skill sets. The biggest growth in enrolments was in the building and
construction courses, up almost 260% on the year before. We have seen extraordinary
growth also in care and early childhood education courses. These are the
workers that we need right now. These are the workers who will power our
residential construction industry, our commercial construction industry and the
growth in our human services area, particularly in early childhood education
and care and in disability care. We are also creating new facilities that will
train our emerging defence, manufacturing and clean energy workforces.
Some new members in the chamber
may not be aware of the previous government's TAFE legacy. I am sure that
members of Parliament will be pleased if I take some time now just to explain
how TAFE fared under the Liberal–National government. It cut TAFE
infrastructure investment. It watched apprenticeship and traineeship numbers
absolutely collapse. The most disgraceful part of its policies was an increase
in course fees of up to 510%. It is little wonder that in the wake of that
neglect, Mr Speaker, enrolments in TAFE dropped by around 120,000. Can you
believe that any state government would take steps to actually reduce the
workforce that is available to our industries and reduce the opportunities for
young Western Australians to get a quality job? It was a shameful chapter in
our education and training history and it has taken a great deal of
determination to turn it around, but today's enrolment data represents a 40%
increase on that low ebb in our training history.
Talk to any industry and it will
tell us that workforce demands and workforce availability are amongst its greatest
challenges at the moment. Training the workforce that we need is part of our
plan to keep WA the strongest economy in the nation. Free TAFE is a critical
part of that plan. Free TAFE courses provide not only affordable career pathways
for young Western Australians, but also a pipeline of skilled workers for our
industries, a boost to our capacity to make more things here and support for a
future that is made in WA.
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