Uncertainty has emerged over national funding for the vocational education sector, after Treasurer Scott Morrison handed down his federal budget on Tuesday.
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Bass Labor MHR Ross Hart said VET and TAFE was a topic of discussion in Parliament on Thursday, as the day’s matter of public importance.
He said the government claimed it would be investing $1.5 billion into the VET sector nationally through its previous National Partnership Agreement, which expired in 2017.
“But in actual fact, it’s a cut to what would have been delivered,” he said.
The National Partnership Agreement, which was signed in 2012, states it would inject $1.75 billion over the 2012-2017 lifetime of the agreement.
However, in the 2018 budget papers, the new agreement, titled the Skilling Australians Fund, will deliver $1.2 billion for the sector nationally, that would be delivered on a state-by-state basis.
The budget papers also states an “additional $50 million of per capita funds”, added as a sweetener to those states and territories who sign up to participate in the fund on or before June 7.
Mr Hart said investing in VET was “vitally important” and more funding was needed to ensure it provided critical pathways for young people to choose trade occupations.
State Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff said the state government would continue its negotiations with the federal government regarding the Skilling Australians Fund.
“The Skilling Australians Fund presents further opportunities for Tasmania to continue to grow our skills base and apprentice numbers,” he said.
“The Tasmanian Government is strongly committed to supporting more young Tasmanians into jobs to build the workforce our growing economy needs.”