❓ The Minister for Training and Workforce Development outlines the benefits of fee-free TAFE courses, particularly the Diploma of Nursing, highlighting the contrast with fees under the previous Liberal-National government and the positive impact on the health sector.
AnsweredQoN 15Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE — FEE-FREE COURSES
15. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
significant investment in affordable training, which has seen strong demand to
study fee-free courses in 2024. Can the minister outline for the house how this
investment is allowing Western Australians to study for a diploma of nursing
for free; and can the minister advise how this free course compares with the
cost increases that were delivered by the Liberals and the Nationals WA?
15. Dr J. KRISHNAN to the Minister for Training and
Workforce Development:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's
significant investment in affordable training, which has seen strong demand to
study fee-free courses in 2024. Can the minister outline for the house how this
investment is allowing Western Australians to study for a diploma of nursing
for free; and can the minister advise how this free course compares with the
cost increases that were delivered by the Liberals and the Nationals WA?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very pleased to address these
issues. Not only is the state government's commitment to vocational
training—particularly through subsidised and, importantly, free courses—providing
opportunities for students, young people and anyone wanting to improve their
skills, it is also making a huge impact on the industries and sectors that we
know need a supply of skilled labour. That is nowhere more the case than in our
health system.
I was very pleased recently to be
joined by the Premier, the Minister for Health and the members for Bateman and
Willagee. As august as that company was, we were even more pleased to be with a
group of students who were studying for
their diploma in nursing. They will end up being qualified as enrolled nurses
in our health system, and that will provide huge opportunities. There
was a wide range of students there. They were engaged in their third semester of study, so they will be finishing up at
the end of this semester, and they were surrounded by world-class facilities. It was great to see that environment and be able to meet some of
those students.
As the member implied in his
question, it is particularly exciting when we start to talk to these students
and understand exactly what benefit they are getting from our fee-free program.
Under the previous Liberal–National government those students would
have had to pay more than $10 000 for their qualifications—$10 000! I do
not know whether the shadow Minister for Health is paying attention to this—I
can see that she is talking to one of her colleagues, so I am not sure that she
is—but being asked to pay $10 000 for a diploma to qualify as an
enrolled nurse is an absolute outrage. We did not just pay the price for that
when members opposite were in government; we will be paying the price of the
increase in fees that the previous government added to our TAFE system for years
to come, because there is a pipeline effect. It creates a disincentive in the
market for people to participate in training. We do not just have a blockage
straightaway; we have a blockage when we do not have people qualifying or
enrolling in apprenticeships, and three or four years later, we have a lack of
tradespeople. That is the real damage that was caused: not just immediate
damage, but damage for many years after.
It was also a real pleasure during
that visit for me, the Premier, the Minister for Health and the local members
who were there to meet some of the lecturers. The lecturers I talked to that
day are also practicing nurses. I met someone who was a nurse in ICU; I met
someone who was a practising nurse in surgery; I met a practising midwife. They
practice as well as lecture, so they do both those jobs. That means that our
TAFE students are being taught by people with real-life experience. They work
in hospitals day in, day out and are able to impart their experience and
communicate their enthusiasm for their work to those students. It was a very,
very positive interaction, and I am proud of it. As I said, under the former
Liberal–National government, it cost more than $10 000 to complete that course. Under the previous government, if a person
wanted to do a Diploma of Anaesthetic Technology and Practice , it would
have cost them $8 000; a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education would
have cost $7 000; and a certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander Primary Health Care Practice would have cost $6 000. Under this
government, all those courses are free—thanks to not only the state
government, but also our positive and cooperative relationship with our federal
counterparts. We are grateful for the new five-year agreement with the Albanese
government. I am proud of the work we are doing on fee relief and
infrastructure upgrades, both the physical
infrastructure and new equipment. It is good for students, good for industry
and good for Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Vasse with the last question.
issues. Not only is the state government's commitment to vocational
training—particularly through subsidised and, importantly, free courses—providing
opportunities for students, young people and anyone wanting to improve their
skills, it is also making a huge impact on the industries and sectors that we
know need a supply of skilled labour. That is nowhere more the case than in our
health system.
I was very pleased recently to be
joined by the Premier, the Minister for Health and the members for Bateman and
Willagee. As august as that company was, we were even more pleased to be with a
group of students who were studying for
their diploma in nursing. They will end up being qualified as enrolled nurses
in our health system, and that will provide huge opportunities. There
was a wide range of students there. They were engaged in their third semester of study, so they will be finishing up at
the end of this semester, and they were surrounded by world-class facilities. It was great to see that environment and be able to meet some of
those students.
As the member implied in his
question, it is particularly exciting when we start to talk to these students
and understand exactly what benefit they are getting from our fee-free program.
Under the previous Liberal–National government those students would
have had to pay more than $10 000 for their qualifications—$10 000! I do
not know whether the shadow Minister for Health is paying attention to this—I
can see that she is talking to one of her colleagues, so I am not sure that she
is—but being asked to pay $10 000 for a diploma to qualify as an
enrolled nurse is an absolute outrage. We did not just pay the price for that
when members opposite were in government; we will be paying the price of the
increase in fees that the previous government added to our TAFE system for years
to come, because there is a pipeline effect. It creates a disincentive in the
market for people to participate in training. We do not just have a blockage
straightaway; we have a blockage when we do not have people qualifying or
enrolling in apprenticeships, and three or four years later, we have a lack of
tradespeople. That is the real damage that was caused: not just immediate
damage, but damage for many years after.
It was also a real pleasure during
that visit for me, the Premier, the Minister for Health and the local members
who were there to meet some of the lecturers. The lecturers I talked to that
day are also practicing nurses. I met someone who was a nurse in ICU; I met
someone who was a practising nurse in surgery; I met a practising midwife. They
practice as well as lecture, so they do both those jobs. That means that our
TAFE students are being taught by people with real-life experience. They work
in hospitals day in, day out and are able to impart their experience and
communicate their enthusiasm for their work to those students. It was a very,
very positive interaction, and I am proud of it. As I said, under the former
Liberal–National government, it cost more than $10 000 to complete that course. Under the previous government, if a person
wanted to do a Diploma of Anaesthetic Technology and Practice , it would
have cost them $8 000; a Diploma in Early Childhood Care and Education would
have cost $7 000; and a certificate IV in Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait
Islander Primary Health Care Practice would have cost $6 000. Under this
government, all those courses are free—thanks to not only the state
government, but also our positive and cooperative relationship with our federal
counterparts. We are grateful for the new five-year agreement with the Albanese
government. I am proud of the work we are doing on fee relief and
infrastructure upgrades, both the physical
infrastructure and new equipment. It is good for students, good for industry
and good for Western Australia.
The SPEAKER : The member for
Vasse with the last question.
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