❓ The Minister for Skills and TAFE responds to a question regarding the Cook Labor government's investment in TAFE to support the building and construction sector, highlighting initiatives like fee-free courses and apprentice incentives, while contrasting these with the perceived lack of policy from the Liberal and National parties.
AnsweredQoN 321Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
Building and construction industry—TAFE support
321. Mr Stuart Aubrey to
the Minister for Skills and TAFE:
I referred to the
Cook Labor government's record investment in TAFE and training to support WA's
building and construction sector.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the
reintroduction of the adult apprentice employer incentive?
(2) Can the minister outline how the government's TAFE
and training policies for the building and construction sector compare with
those of the Liberal Party and the Nationals WA?
321. Mr Stuart Aubrey to
the Minister for Skills and TAFE:
I referred to the
Cook Labor government's record investment in TAFE and training to support WA's
building and construction sector.
(1) Can the minister update the house on the
reintroduction of the adult apprentice employer incentive?
(2) Can the minister outline how the government's TAFE
and training policies for the building and construction sector compare with
those of the Liberal Party and the Nationals WA?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I
thank the member for Scarborough for his question and acknowledge his deep
understanding of and commitment to the need to expand the number of people
who are undergoing technical trades and to get more tradies into our workforce.
It is no secret that one
of the biggest challenges for particularly the construction sector and the
residential construction sector is actually access to labour. It is labour,
labour, labour! That is certainly the message that comes strongly from those in
the sector who want to deliver more residential housing. We know that to do
that, we have to support people to train and we have to reduce the barriers to
training. Of course, money is one of the major barriers to training in
technical trades and the care economy. Making TAFE both affordable and free
seriously reduces many of the barriers, and that is why we are backing the
sector with real support of $100 million this year alone to continue the fee-free
and low-fee TAFE courses in 2026 as well; $22 million to make seven additional
construction courses fee free from next year; over $25 million to expand the group
training organisation wage subsidy, which will be 1,000 places; and $12 million
to extend the Construction Visa Subsidy Program and the Build a Life in WA
incentive, which has been enormously successful to date.
We are also investing $8.5
million to reintroduce the adult apprentice incentive to employ and train
apprentices aged over 21 years. We know that apprentices over 21 sometimes have
their own caring responsibilities and it is a lot harder for them to live on an
apprenticeship wage. The incentive alone will support another 400 new
apprentices to enter building and construction over the next four years. I am
very pleased to inform the chamber that the first round of 100 places has
already been filled. It is hugely popular. We have fast-tracked the second
round of 100 places to go out, and we expect that they will also get filled
very, very quickly. We continue to receive overwhelming support from industry
and from those who take up places under this program. That means the incentive
has supported the employment of nearly 200 new building and construction
apprentices in less than two months.
We are very proud of our
skills and TAFE record and we are very proud to work in partnership with the
Commonwealth to continue to support technical trades and the care economy,
because we know that they are critical to the running and expansion of our economy.
We have 140 TAFE courses that are now free and we have slashed the fees for
160. There were more than 43,000 enrolments last year and we are already at
36,000 for this year. It is a pipeline of the skilled workers we need in our
healthcare settings, aged care, child care and our hospitals, but also in our
technical trades, housing and construction, manufacturing, and the clean energy
economy. Contrast that with the Liberals and Nationals TAFE policy—which
I would table in this place, but you cannot table a blank page! They have no
policy. They went to the election with no policy for skills and training and no
policy to make sure that we have a pipeline for industry—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
They have no policy
to make sure that we have a pipeline of skilled workers for industries to grow
our economy and ensure that our young people have jobs and opportunities—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you
to order for the first time.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We only have to listen to
what members opposite say in Parliament about TAFE. They have never valued it,
and they showed that when they were in government. We recently heard one of the
newer upper house—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, I call you to order for
the first time as well.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: One of their newer upper
house members, Hon Simon Ehrenfeld MLC, said:
We hear the government go on and on
about free TAFE …
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, I call you to
order for the first time as well.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: He said:
We hear the government go on and on
about free TAFE, and people decide, "I'm saving $1,200 on a course; I'll …
forget about my career … and become a bricklayer", or whatever it
is.
They have no regard
for those occupations, and it is a slap in the face to the people who build our
houses and who work in our hospitals and who look after our parents in our aged-care
facilities and who look after our children in our
childcare facilities. This government will ensure they have a good job to go
to, and they will be able to train in that job, and that will always be the
case under a Labor government.
thank the member for Scarborough for his question and acknowledge his deep
understanding of and commitment to the need to expand the number of people
who are undergoing technical trades and to get more tradies into our workforce.
It is no secret that one
of the biggest challenges for particularly the construction sector and the
residential construction sector is actually access to labour. It is labour,
labour, labour! That is certainly the message that comes strongly from those in
the sector who want to deliver more residential housing. We know that to do
that, we have to support people to train and we have to reduce the barriers to
training. Of course, money is one of the major barriers to training in
technical trades and the care economy. Making TAFE both affordable and free
seriously reduces many of the barriers, and that is why we are backing the
sector with real support of $100 million this year alone to continue the fee-free
and low-fee TAFE courses in 2026 as well; $22 million to make seven additional
construction courses fee free from next year; over $25 million to expand the group
training organisation wage subsidy, which will be 1,000 places; and $12 million
to extend the Construction Visa Subsidy Program and the Build a Life in WA
incentive, which has been enormously successful to date.
We are also investing $8.5
million to reintroduce the adult apprentice incentive to employ and train
apprentices aged over 21 years. We know that apprentices over 21 sometimes have
their own caring responsibilities and it is a lot harder for them to live on an
apprenticeship wage. The incentive alone will support another 400 new
apprentices to enter building and construction over the next four years. I am
very pleased to inform the chamber that the first round of 100 places has
already been filled. It is hugely popular. We have fast-tracked the second
round of 100 places to go out, and we expect that they will also get filled
very, very quickly. We continue to receive overwhelming support from industry
and from those who take up places under this program. That means the incentive
has supported the employment of nearly 200 new building and construction
apprentices in less than two months.
We are very proud of our
skills and TAFE record and we are very proud to work in partnership with the
Commonwealth to continue to support technical trades and the care economy,
because we know that they are critical to the running and expansion of our economy.
We have 140 TAFE courses that are now free and we have slashed the fees for
160. There were more than 43,000 enrolments last year and we are already at
36,000 for this year. It is a pipeline of the skilled workers we need in our
healthcare settings, aged care, child care and our hospitals, but also in our
technical trades, housing and construction, manufacturing, and the clean energy
economy. Contrast that with the Liberals and Nationals TAFE policy—which
I would table in this place, but you cannot table a blank page! They have no
policy. They went to the election with no policy for skills and training and no
policy to make sure that we have a pipeline for industry—
Several members
interjected.
The Speaker: Members of the opposition!
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: Thank you, Mr Speaker.
They have no policy
to make sure that we have a pipeline of skilled workers for industries to grow
our economy and ensure that our young people have jobs and opportunities—
Mr Lachlan Hunter interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Central Wheatbelt, I call you
to order for the first time.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: We only have to listen to
what members opposite say in Parliament about TAFE. They have never valued it,
and they showed that when they were in government. We recently heard one of the
newer upper house—
Ms Libby Mettam interjected.
The Speaker: Member for Vasse, I call you to order for
the first time as well.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: One of their newer upper
house members, Hon Simon Ehrenfeld MLC, said:
We hear the government go on and on
about free TAFE …
Mr Basil Zempilas interjected.
The Speaker: Leader of the Opposition, I call you to
order for the first time as well.
Ms Amber-Jade Sanderson: He said:
We hear the government go on and on
about free TAFE, and people decide, "I'm saving $1,200 on a course; I'll …
forget about my career … and become a bricklayer", or whatever it
is.
They have no regard
for those occupations, and it is a slap in the face to the people who build our
houses and who work in our hospitals and who look after our parents in our aged-care
facilities and who look after our children in our
childcare facilities. This government will ensure they have a good job to go
to, and they will be able to train in that job, and that will always be the
case under a Labor government.
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