❓ Dr. Krishnan asks about the Cook Labor government's TAFE investment in training healthcare workers. Minister Sanderson highlights free and low-fee courses, enrolment numbers, and success stories, emphasising the program's positive impact.
AnsweredQoN 576Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE—Health care576.Dr Jags Krishnanto
theMinister for Skills and TAFE:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to developing a skilled and productive workforce.(1) Can the minister explain how the government's
investment in TAFE is training more workers for our health system and care
economy?(2) Can the minister advise how high-quality
training in TAFE is equipping health and care students with the skills they
need to excel in their field?
theMinister for Skills and TAFE:I refer to the Cook
Labor government's commitment to developing a skilled and productive workforce.(1) Can the minister explain how the government's
investment in TAFE is training more workers for our health system and care
economy?(2) Can the minister advise how high-quality
training in TAFE is equipping health and care students with the skills they
need to excel in their field?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
23 October 2025
Response time
0 days
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson replied:(1)–(2) I thank the member for Riverton
for the opportunity to talk about our fantastic free TAFE program once again
and outline how it is supporting our broader economy, particularly the care
economy. Health, education, early childhood education, aged care, disability
services—there are over 140 free TAFE courses, and 160 courses have low
fees, reduced by up to 72%. They are critical to getting more workers into our
health system and the broader care system, including disability support and aged
care. The certificate III in individual support (ageing and disability) is now
completely free. It will save students $2,700.I bumped into an old high school
friend of mine a few weeks ago, and she said, "I've just finished my cert III
in dementia care. My kids have all finished school, and I am going to work in
aged care and dementia care." That is exactly what it is intended to do:
support people who are either leaving school or at a different part of their
life and ready to do something else. There is no way that she would have been
able to afford to pay those fees, so this has given her another pathway and
opportunity to make a genuine contribution to an important sector and earn a
good wage, now her kids have grown up.The diploma of early childhood
education and care is now free, saving students who are training to be
childcare workers $6,800. A diploma of nursing is now free, saving students
$10,000. Last year alone, we reached over 30,000 enrolments. This year, we are
already at 27,000 enrolments. There was huge interest because of our record
investment. There is $100 million in 2026 alone for fee-free and low-fee TAFE
courses.We are backing individual people
and communities to improve their lives and access jobs. I want to talk about a
couple of people who have made a massive contribution to the sector. Chanelle
Williams of North Regional TAFE was awarded Western Australian Trainer of the
Year. She played a critical role in enhancing early childhood education and
care (ECEC) training for students in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions,
including developing a skill set pilot for more local workers to get into the early
childhood education and care sector. She collaborated with the Ngunga Group
Womens Aboriginal Corporation in Derby to tailor training to local educators.
This resulted in a huge increase in Aboriginal student participation. She now
has adapted training delivery to meet the needs of diverse learners, which is
an outstanding example of the quality educators and trainers we have in our
TAFE system.Elisajane Thompson of Central Regional
TAFE was awarded Western Australian Trainee of the Year. Elisajane enrolled in
the diploma of ECEC as she was passionate about making a positive impact in
children's lives. The accessibility and support from TAFE ensured that Elisajane
had everything she needed to succeed in the sector. Her ultimate goal is to
complete a teaching qualification, which would not have been possible without
her initial traineeship.Chanelle and Elisajane are great
examples of how TAFE is supporting people to change their lives. It is
genuinely changing their lives by giving them the opportunity for good, well-paying
jobs. High-quality training supports a skilled workforce and a stronger health
system in our care economy, and that is why this government is making record
investments in our TAFE and training sector.
TAFE—Health care
for the opportunity to talk about our fantastic free TAFE program once again
and outline how it is supporting our broader economy, particularly the care
economy. Health, education, early childhood education, aged care, disability
services—there are over 140 free TAFE courses, and 160 courses have low
fees, reduced by up to 72%. They are critical to getting more workers into our
health system and the broader care system, including disability support and aged
care. The certificate III in individual support (ageing and disability) is now
completely free. It will save students $2,700.I bumped into an old high school
friend of mine a few weeks ago, and she said, "I've just finished my cert III
in dementia care. My kids have all finished school, and I am going to work in
aged care and dementia care." That is exactly what it is intended to do:
support people who are either leaving school or at a different part of their
life and ready to do something else. There is no way that she would have been
able to afford to pay those fees, so this has given her another pathway and
opportunity to make a genuine contribution to an important sector and earn a
good wage, now her kids have grown up.The diploma of early childhood
education and care is now free, saving students who are training to be
childcare workers $6,800. A diploma of nursing is now free, saving students
$10,000. Last year alone, we reached over 30,000 enrolments. This year, we are
already at 27,000 enrolments. There was huge interest because of our record
investment. There is $100 million in 2026 alone for fee-free and low-fee TAFE
courses.We are backing individual people
and communities to improve their lives and access jobs. I want to talk about a
couple of people who have made a massive contribution to the sector. Chanelle
Williams of North Regional TAFE was awarded Western Australian Trainer of the
Year. She played a critical role in enhancing early childhood education and
care (ECEC) training for students in the Kimberley and Pilbara regions,
including developing a skill set pilot for more local workers to get into the early
childhood education and care sector. She collaborated with the Ngunga Group
Womens Aboriginal Corporation in Derby to tailor training to local educators.
This resulted in a huge increase in Aboriginal student participation. She now
has adapted training delivery to meet the needs of diverse learners, which is
an outstanding example of the quality educators and trainers we have in our
TAFE system.Elisajane Thompson of Central Regional
TAFE was awarded Western Australian Trainee of the Year. Elisajane enrolled in
the diploma of ECEC as she was passionate about making a positive impact in
children's lives. The accessibility and support from TAFE ensured that Elisajane
had everything she needed to succeed in the sector. Her ultimate goal is to
complete a teaching qualification, which would not have been possible without
her initial traineeship.Chanelle and Elisajane are great
examples of how TAFE is supporting people to change their lives. It is
genuinely changing their lives by giving them the opportunity for good, well-paying
jobs. High-quality training supports a skilled workforce and a stronger health
system in our care economy, and that is why this government is making record
investments in our TAFE and training sector.
TAFE—Health care
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