❓ Mr. Aubrey inquires about the Cook Labor government's progress in providing affordable TAFE and training, and how this upskills the local workforce. The Minister responds by highlighting investments in fee-free and low-fee courses, criticising the previous Liberal government's record on TAFE.
AnsweredQoN 157Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TAFE—Fee-free and low-fee courses
157. Mr Stuart Aubrey to
the Minister for Skills and TAFE:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's record of
delivering cheaper training opportunities for Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's delivery of fee-free and low-fee TAFE and training opportunities?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how
affordable training is upskilling our local workforce to help make more things
here?
157. Mr Stuart Aubrey to
the Minister for Skills and TAFE:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's record of
delivering cheaper training opportunities for Western Australians.
(1) Can the minister update the house on this
government's delivery of fee-free and low-fee TAFE and training opportunities?
(2) Can the minister advise the house how
affordable training is upskilling our local workforce to help make more things
here?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2) I thank the member for Scarborough
for the question and his passion for the VET sector as someone who has been
through and benefited from the vocational and educational training sector. As
we know, Western Australia has the strongest economy in the nation, and we are
immensely proud of our TAFE and our training system that is feeding that
economy and helping to expand that economy and opportunities for Western
Australians. This year alone we are investing $100 million in fee-free and low-fee
TAFE to make sure that we have future-fit workers and a future-fit workforce
delivering in our priority industries, building the houses that we need,
supporting the health system to support Western Australians and making sure
that we are building our clean energy future. Our record investment means that
Western Australians can get the skills that they need without them and their
families being saddled with thousands of dollars of debt. We have removed the
barrier so that more people can train and take up those opportunities. Some of
those opportunities are in the building and construction sector where we need
the workforce to build homes that we can live in. A certificate III in plumbing,
wall and ceiling lining, bricklaying, blocklaying, solid plastering and civil
construction are all free, members—all completely free. In health care
and support, a certificate III in individual support is also free and a
certificate III in early childhood education is also free. A diploma in nursing
once cost $10,000 but it is now fee free. We use enrolled nurses across our
health system. In the clean energy sector, we have cut fees from courses to
support WA's transformation into a renewable energy powerhouse. A cert IV in laboratory
techniques has been slashed by over $3,000 and a cert III to become an electrician
has been slashed by over $1,600. We are training the next lot of electricians.
In advanced manufacturing, we
are also making more things here—buses, trains and ferries to support
our public transport network, wind turbines, batteries to support the energy
transition and shipbuilding for the all-important AUKUS. That is why we have slashed
the cost of a cert III in the mechanical and fabrication trades by over $1,400.
We have slashed the cost of courses in marine craft construction by $1,400 and
in process manufacturing by over $1,800. And we have made a cert IV in engineering
fee free—completely fee free. We are making sure that we have the next
pipeline of fabricators, fitters, shipbuilders and local manufacturing to make
sure that we can deliver Made in WA. We know that we cannot afford another
Liberal government that does not believe in vocational education and training
the tradies of the future. At the last election, the Liberal Party did not even
have a training policy or a workforce plan. Liberal Party members constantly
trash TAFE. We know that when members opposite were in government, they raised
fees for courses in key areas of our industry by more than 510%. They shut off
the pipeline of skilled workers in Western Australia, and they shut off
opportunities for Western Australians. The Cook government will ensure that we
provide opportunities for Western Australians without saddling them with debt. We
will make them future-fit for the workforce challenges that we meet, and we
will not deny them of the opportunities that those opposite have.
for the question and his passion for the VET sector as someone who has been
through and benefited from the vocational and educational training sector. As
we know, Western Australia has the strongest economy in the nation, and we are
immensely proud of our TAFE and our training system that is feeding that
economy and helping to expand that economy and opportunities for Western
Australians. This year alone we are investing $100 million in fee-free and low-fee
TAFE to make sure that we have future-fit workers and a future-fit workforce
delivering in our priority industries, building the houses that we need,
supporting the health system to support Western Australians and making sure
that we are building our clean energy future. Our record investment means that
Western Australians can get the skills that they need without them and their
families being saddled with thousands of dollars of debt. We have removed the
barrier so that more people can train and take up those opportunities. Some of
those opportunities are in the building and construction sector where we need
the workforce to build homes that we can live in. A certificate III in plumbing,
wall and ceiling lining, bricklaying, blocklaying, solid plastering and civil
construction are all free, members—all completely free. In health care
and support, a certificate III in individual support is also free and a
certificate III in early childhood education is also free. A diploma in nursing
once cost $10,000 but it is now fee free. We use enrolled nurses across our
health system. In the clean energy sector, we have cut fees from courses to
support WA's transformation into a renewable energy powerhouse. A cert IV in laboratory
techniques has been slashed by over $3,000 and a cert III to become an electrician
has been slashed by over $1,600. We are training the next lot of electricians.
In advanced manufacturing, we
are also making more things here—buses, trains and ferries to support
our public transport network, wind turbines, batteries to support the energy
transition and shipbuilding for the all-important AUKUS. That is why we have slashed
the cost of a cert III in the mechanical and fabrication trades by over $1,400.
We have slashed the cost of courses in marine craft construction by $1,400 and
in process manufacturing by over $1,800. And we have made a cert IV in engineering
fee free—completely fee free. We are making sure that we have the next
pipeline of fabricators, fitters, shipbuilders and local manufacturing to make
sure that we can deliver Made in WA. We know that we cannot afford another
Liberal government that does not believe in vocational education and training
the tradies of the future. At the last election, the Liberal Party did not even
have a training policy or a workforce plan. Liberal Party members constantly
trash TAFE. We know that when members opposite were in government, they raised
fees for courses in key areas of our industry by more than 510%. They shut off
the pipeline of skilled workers in Western Australia, and they shut off
opportunities for Western Australians. The Cook government will ensure that we
provide opportunities for Western Australians without saddling them with debt. We
will make them future-fit for the workforce challenges that we meet, and we
will not deny them of the opportunities that those opposite have.
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.