❓ The Premier provides an update on the Armadale TAFE campus redevelopment, highlighting its benefits for the community and comparing it to ECU's inner-city campus. He contrasts the current government's investment in TAFE with the previous government's cuts.
AnsweredQoN 541Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
TRAINING
AND SKILLS — INVESTMENT
541. Mr H.T. JONES to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's unparalleled
commitment to upskilling Western Australians and upgrading TAFE campuses.
(1) Can the
Premier provide an update to the house on the progress of this government's
investment in the new Armadale TAFE campus?
(2) Can the
Premier explain how this government's investments are enhancing Perth's
south eastern suburbs?
AND SKILLS — INVESTMENT
541. Mr H.T. JONES to the Premier:
I refer to the Cook Labor government's unparalleled
commitment to upskilling Western Australians and upgrading TAFE campuses.
(1) Can the
Premier provide an update to the house on the progress of this government's
investment in the new Armadale TAFE campus?
(2) Can the
Premier explain how this government's investments are enhancing Perth's
south eastern suburbs?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for the question. I note that today Western Australia has an
unemployment rate of 3.6 per cent, the lowest of any state in the country,
which is a sign that there are opportunities for Western Australians to get the
jobs they want with the skills they acquire. It was wonderful to be at the new
Armadale TAFE campus with the member for Darling Range and the member for
Armadale to open the great new facilities that we have out there at Armadale
TAFE.
I want to highlight a few of the
changes that took place as a result of this $39 million redevelopment. It is a state-of-the-art
facility and it will be an incredible asset for the people of Armadale and
Byford. It is right in the centre of Armadale and will be easily accessed from
the new Armadale train station. It is also part of the $250 million
redevelopment of TAFEs the length and breadth of this state. I commend the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development for the amazing work that she
and her department are doing to upgrade TAFEs in Albany, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton
and to the north in —
Ms S.F. McGurk : Broome?
Mr R.H. COOK : Broome as
well; that is it. We are transforming TAFEs in Western Australia.
The new Armadale TAFE is sort of
like Armadale's version of the Edith Cowan University inner-city
campus. The students there will obtain great skills to move forward. It was
wonderful speaking to some of the students today. One student I spoke to was a baker
and she told me she is also now a mum. She said that baking and being a single mother do not mix very well, so she is
training to become an early childhood education and care professional so
she can match her skills and her work hours to her kids. It is great to see her
getting new skills, and she is doing it through a fee-free course. We are
absolutely proud of the achievement of bringing that in. Of course, it also
means that that there will be a number of young school leavers, jobseekers and
mature age students in Perth's outer south eastern suburbs who can
access industry-standard training much closer to home. At this new Armadale
TAFE campus, we have eight fee-free courses and skill sets offered, along with
six lower fee local skills courses. These are all geared towards getting
workers into the industries that need them the most—industries like
child care, community services, education support, general education and IT. We
are so proud of what is going on in Armadale at the moment. There must be an
incredibly effective member for Darling Range and member for Armadale.
I will just name a few of the
highlights going on out there. We had the removal of the Denny Avenue level
crossing on the Armadale line through Metronet; the new Armadale Courthouse and
police complex; the Metronet Byford rail extension, member for Darling Range,
including five level crossing removals between Armadale and Byford, and better
schools. Madam Speaker, I could go on, but you get the picture.
In Western Australia today, we are
seeing a revolution in our vocational education and training system. Through
our fee-free courses, we have seen a significant increase in the number of
people studying at TAFEs. There was a time when that was not always the case.
Members might recall that in some cases, the Barnett government increased fees by up to 500 per cent. It slashed
investment in TAFE infrastructure by more than 25 per cent in its final
term. At a time when every jurisdiction in the world's economic future
depended on the skills of its workforce, Western
Australia went backwards. We saw a 33 per cent decline in the number of people
who started an apprenticeship or traineeship—a decline at a time
when we needed more skills in our workforce than ever before. That is a stunning
record. It must be an Australian first to see the number of people being
trained in apprenticeships and TAFEs go backwards. That was all achieved by the
Liberals and Nationals when they were last in government.
We are so proud of the fact that we
have seen a 28 per cent increase in the number of apprentices and trainees.
There has been a 24 per cent increase in overall TAFE enrolments, reaching a record
high of over 153 000 in 2023. It was great to meet just a small cohort of the
600 students who are now studying at the South Metropolitan TAFE Armadale
campus. I cannot wait for the member for Darling Range to go down to Byford and
proudly inform that community that only a WA Labor government will back his
community with skills, training and revolutionary public transport, and only a WA
Labor government will do what is right for the people of WA.
I thank the member for the question. I note that today Western Australia has an
unemployment rate of 3.6 per cent, the lowest of any state in the country,
which is a sign that there are opportunities for Western Australians to get the
jobs they want with the skills they acquire. It was wonderful to be at the new
Armadale TAFE campus with the member for Darling Range and the member for
Armadale to open the great new facilities that we have out there at Armadale
TAFE.
I want to highlight a few of the
changes that took place as a result of this $39 million redevelopment. It is a state-of-the-art
facility and it will be an incredible asset for the people of Armadale and
Byford. It is right in the centre of Armadale and will be easily accessed from
the new Armadale train station. It is also part of the $250 million
redevelopment of TAFEs the length and breadth of this state. I commend the
Minister for Training and Workforce Development for the amazing work that she
and her department are doing to upgrade TAFEs in Albany, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton
and to the north in —
Ms S.F. McGurk : Broome?
Mr R.H. COOK : Broome as
well; that is it. We are transforming TAFEs in Western Australia.
The new Armadale TAFE is sort of
like Armadale's version of the Edith Cowan University inner-city
campus. The students there will obtain great skills to move forward. It was
wonderful speaking to some of the students today. One student I spoke to was a baker
and she told me she is also now a mum. She said that baking and being a single mother do not mix very well, so she is
training to become an early childhood education and care professional so
she can match her skills and her work hours to her kids. It is great to see her
getting new skills, and she is doing it through a fee-free course. We are
absolutely proud of the achievement of bringing that in. Of course, it also
means that that there will be a number of young school leavers, jobseekers and
mature age students in Perth's outer south eastern suburbs who can
access industry-standard training much closer to home. At this new Armadale
TAFE campus, we have eight fee-free courses and skill sets offered, along with
six lower fee local skills courses. These are all geared towards getting
workers into the industries that need them the most—industries like
child care, community services, education support, general education and IT. We
are so proud of what is going on in Armadale at the moment. There must be an
incredibly effective member for Darling Range and member for Armadale.
I will just name a few of the
highlights going on out there. We had the removal of the Denny Avenue level
crossing on the Armadale line through Metronet; the new Armadale Courthouse and
police complex; the Metronet Byford rail extension, member for Darling Range,
including five level crossing removals between Armadale and Byford, and better
schools. Madam Speaker, I could go on, but you get the picture.
In Western Australia today, we are
seeing a revolution in our vocational education and training system. Through
our fee-free courses, we have seen a significant increase in the number of
people studying at TAFEs. There was a time when that was not always the case.
Members might recall that in some cases, the Barnett government increased fees by up to 500 per cent. It slashed
investment in TAFE infrastructure by more than 25 per cent in its final
term. At a time when every jurisdiction in the world's economic future
depended on the skills of its workforce, Western
Australia went backwards. We saw a 33 per cent decline in the number of people
who started an apprenticeship or traineeship—a decline at a time
when we needed more skills in our workforce than ever before. That is a stunning
record. It must be an Australian first to see the number of people being
trained in apprenticeships and TAFEs go backwards. That was all achieved by the
Liberals and Nationals when they were last in government.
We are so proud of the fact that we
have seen a 28 per cent increase in the number of apprentices and trainees.
There has been a 24 per cent increase in overall TAFE enrolments, reaching a record
high of over 153 000 in 2023. It was great to meet just a small cohort of the
600 students who are now studying at the South Metropolitan TAFE Armadale
campus. I cannot wait for the member for Darling Range to go down to Byford and
proudly inform that community that only a WA Labor government will back his
community with skills, training and revolutionary public transport, and only a WA
Labor government will do what is right for the people of WA.
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