Federal Labor is promising to cover the cost of 465,000 TAFE places, including 45,000 new places. But there’s a chronic shortage of VET teachers and trainers, so that problem has to be fixed first.
VET’s role in employable skill development is critical. But we also need to strongly support the role VET plays in getting disadvantaged groups into education and work.
Many young Australians and their parents don’t consider VET as a potential post-school pathway, even if it might be more suitable for them than university.
Labor has promised to review the tertiary education sector if elected next year. There are some major issues, and some examples from abroad they should consider.
New analysis of education expenditure shows spending on the vocational education and training sector has declined while other sectors have experienced growth.