❓ The Minister for Training details the success of the 'Free in '23' TAFE program, its extension into 2024, and contrasts the government's approach to TAFE fees with that of the previous Liberal-National government, highlighting increased enrolments and reduced costs.
AnsweredQoN 723Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE — FREE IN '23
COURSES
723. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Training:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to providing all Western Australians with access to quality
vocational training.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how the extension of fee-free TAFE courses in 2024
will allow thousands of Western Australians to train for jobs in critical
priority sectors?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's approach to providing
free and low-cost TAFE courses compares with that of the previous Liberal–National
government?
COURSES
723. Mr M.J. FOLKARD to the Minister for Training:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
commitment to providing all Western Australians with access to quality
vocational training.
(1) Can the
minister advise the house how the extension of fee-free TAFE courses in 2024
will allow thousands of Western Australians to train for jobs in critical
priority sectors?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this government's approach to providing
free and low-cost TAFE courses compares with that of the previous Liberal–National
government?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
am very pleased to answer this question because there is so much that we as a government
are doing to support Western Australians get into vocational training so that
they can get the skills they need to take advantage of the very healthy jobs
market that exists throughout the state. I was very pleased to join the Premier and a couple of our federal colleagues at
North Metropolitan TAFE recently to announce the very exciting extension
of our Free in '23 program, which of course in 2024 will be ''more
in '24''. It was very exciting to announce.
What we have been able to deliver in
2023 was originally designed to be 18 800 free places. In fact, as a result of
the extended commitment by our government, as well as by the federal
government, we have been able to top it up from a state point of view. We have
been able to offer 34 000 enrolment places in those free courses. They are
either for full qualifications or short courses or skill sets. In 2024, we will
be offering the same number of courses and
places that we have been able to deliver in 2023. There will be 130
course offerings and places. We will extend that into 2024 as a result of the
federal government's commitment, and we are topping that up in Western Australia
through the state budget.
It has been really pleasing to see
the strongest enrolments in fee-free qualifications in the important skill areas of early childhood education and care, aged
and disability care, nursing, IT and hospitality. All those are very
much priority industries. In fact, in the care sector courses, we have seen
enrolments really extend upwards by 31 per
cent from the same time in the previous year. There have been nearly 20 000
enrolments in care sector courses as a result of our fee-free offerings.
It is fantastic. Two-thirds of the people picking up the fee-free enrolments are women, which is fantastic, and one-third
are young people between the ages of
15 and 24 years. We really want to send the message that we want to increase
their skills and participation in the labour market in both those areas.
I also want to take the time to
highlight the comparison between us as a Labor government and what the previous Liberal–National government did
to our vocational training sector. It is well known and we make no
apologies for taking the opportunity to highlight that the Liberal–National
government increased fees in vocational training in some cases fivefold. As a result,
annual student enrolments fell by up to 25 000. When we came to government, we took immediate action. That was to freeze
TAFE fees immediately to give price certainty to the market, but we did
not stop there. As well as freezing fees, we then set about slashing those fees
by up to 72 per cent for a number of high-priority courses. Of course, we now
offer fee-free courses as well. Training numbers have really spoken for
themselves with massive increases. In 2022, there were record high numbers of
vocational training at more than 49 000 enrolments. It remains 50 per cent
higher than the 2019 figures pre the pandemic.
I
will quickly go through some of the figures. If members think about a diploma
of building and construction at TAFE—a critical area of skill—in
2013, 10 years ago, a student would have paid just over $2 000 for that course. In 2017 before we came to office,
over $7 000 would have been paid for the same course, and now just under
$2 000 is paid. People pay less now for a diploma in building and construction
than they paid 10 years ago as a result of the investments we have put in
place. For an advanced diploma of building surveying—an area about
which the Western Australian Local Government Association has lobbied us,
saying local government needs more people in surveying—it was about $2 000
for that course in 2013. When we came to office, as a result of the opposition's
fee increases, it cost $12 500. It went from $2 000 to $12 500. About $2 400 is
now paid for that diploma. An advanced diploma of engineering technology in
electrical is crucial as we move to clean energy. The fee went from nearly $3 000
in 2013 to $11 250 when we came to office. Do members know what it is now? It
is free. It has gone from $11 250 to free.
The
final one, which is probably one of the areas we are proudest of, is a diploma
of nursing. When we came to office, a
diploma of nursing, which is the enrolled nursing qualification, cost $10 000.
Do members know what it is now? It is fee free. These are the sorts of
results that indicate this government's commitment to vocational training
and commitment to ensuring that local Western Australians are getting
investment in training throughout the state. Nearly 29 per cent of the fee-free
take-up has been in regional areas. I am very proud of that work and I look
forward to continuing it as we deliver more in '24.
am very pleased to answer this question because there is so much that we as a government
are doing to support Western Australians get into vocational training so that
they can get the skills they need to take advantage of the very healthy jobs
market that exists throughout the state. I was very pleased to join the Premier and a couple of our federal colleagues at
North Metropolitan TAFE recently to announce the very exciting extension
of our Free in '23 program, which of course in 2024 will be ''more
in '24''. It was very exciting to announce.
What we have been able to deliver in
2023 was originally designed to be 18 800 free places. In fact, as a result of
the extended commitment by our government, as well as by the federal
government, we have been able to top it up from a state point of view. We have
been able to offer 34 000 enrolment places in those free courses. They are
either for full qualifications or short courses or skill sets. In 2024, we will
be offering the same number of courses and
places that we have been able to deliver in 2023. There will be 130
course offerings and places. We will extend that into 2024 as a result of the
federal government's commitment, and we are topping that up in Western Australia
through the state budget.
It has been really pleasing to see
the strongest enrolments in fee-free qualifications in the important skill areas of early childhood education and care, aged
and disability care, nursing, IT and hospitality. All those are very
much priority industries. In fact, in the care sector courses, we have seen
enrolments really extend upwards by 31 per
cent from the same time in the previous year. There have been nearly 20 000
enrolments in care sector courses as a result of our fee-free offerings.
It is fantastic. Two-thirds of the people picking up the fee-free enrolments are women, which is fantastic, and one-third
are young people between the ages of
15 and 24 years. We really want to send the message that we want to increase
their skills and participation in the labour market in both those areas.
I also want to take the time to
highlight the comparison between us as a Labor government and what the previous Liberal–National government did
to our vocational training sector. It is well known and we make no
apologies for taking the opportunity to highlight that the Liberal–National
government increased fees in vocational training in some cases fivefold. As a result,
annual student enrolments fell by up to 25 000. When we came to government, we took immediate action. That was to freeze
TAFE fees immediately to give price certainty to the market, but we did
not stop there. As well as freezing fees, we then set about slashing those fees
by up to 72 per cent for a number of high-priority courses. Of course, we now
offer fee-free courses as well. Training numbers have really spoken for
themselves with massive increases. In 2022, there were record high numbers of
vocational training at more than 49 000 enrolments. It remains 50 per cent
higher than the 2019 figures pre the pandemic.
I
will quickly go through some of the figures. If members think about a diploma
of building and construction at TAFE—a critical area of skill—in
2013, 10 years ago, a student would have paid just over $2 000 for that course. In 2017 before we came to office,
over $7 000 would have been paid for the same course, and now just under
$2 000 is paid. People pay less now for a diploma in building and construction
than they paid 10 years ago as a result of the investments we have put in
place. For an advanced diploma of building surveying—an area about
which the Western Australian Local Government Association has lobbied us,
saying local government needs more people in surveying—it was about $2 000
for that course in 2013. When we came to office, as a result of the opposition's
fee increases, it cost $12 500. It went from $2 000 to $12 500. About $2 400 is
now paid for that diploma. An advanced diploma of engineering technology in
electrical is crucial as we move to clean energy. The fee went from nearly $3 000
in 2013 to $11 250 when we came to office. Do members know what it is now? It
is free. It has gone from $11 250 to free.
The
final one, which is probably one of the areas we are proudest of, is a diploma
of nursing. When we came to office, a
diploma of nursing, which is the enrolled nursing qualification, cost $10 000.
Do members know what it is now? It is fee free. These are the sorts of
results that indicate this government's commitment to vocational training
and commitment to ensuring that local Western Australians are getting
investment in training throughout the state. Nearly 29 per cent of the fee-free
take-up has been in regional areas. I am very proud of that work and I look
forward to continuing it as we deliver more in '24.
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.