TDA: Election 2016 – Statements

Election campaign tally – what’s been promised so far

Youth Jobs PaTH Programme
A $752 million program that aims to help young job seekers gain skills and internships, leading to jobs including apprenticeships.

Redesign of VET FEE-HELP
A discussion paper has proposed a range of options to take effect in 2017, supported by a $10 million education campaign.

Extension of P-TECH 
$4.6 million has been promised for 12 new pilot P-TECH (Pathways in Technology Early College High School) sites to promote STEM skills.

Higher education 
Reforms including fee deregulation and improved equity for TAFE higher education students have been put on hold pending an expert committee that will make recommendations later this year.

Ten new polytechnics
$430 million for 10 pilot sites for a new tier of higher education institutes – Commonwealth Institutes of Higher Education – combining TAFE, university, industry and government, delivering Advanced Diplomas and Associate Degrees.

Guaranteed TAFE funding 
A National Priority Plan that defines the unique role of TAFE, rebalances contestable funding, and works with states and territories to provide “ongoing guaranteed TAFE funding”.

VET sector review
A promised review of the VET sector that, Labor says, will be the first since the Kangan review in 1974.

VET-FEE HELP cap
An $8,000 per year cap on all VET FEE-HELP student loans, with a ministerial exemption for some high cost courses such as nursing and engineering.

Apprentice quota
One in ten jobs on priority federally-funded infrastructure projects to be apprentices, creating 2,600 new apprenticeships.

Pre-apprenticeships
‘Apprentice Ready’ is a 20-week,pre-apprenticeship course for trades on the National Skills Needs List, delivered through TAFEs that Labor says will offer 10,000 apprenticeships,

Mature age apprenticeships
A pilot of a National Skills Recognition Entitlement program with 5,000 places to help mature-aged, retrenched workers fast-track into apprenticeships.

Group training funding
$10 million a year over four years to group training organisations.

Apprentice advocate & portal
An apprentice advocate to address quality and training issues, and a portal, Apprenticeships Connect, that will link apprentices to employers.

Guaranteed training
Unemployed youth to be guaranteed a fully funded Certificate III under the Working Futures employmemnt program.

Tools for Your Trade
The reintroduction of Tools for Your Trade payments of up to $3000 to apprentices, costing $285 million.

Higher education 
The demand driven system to continue and Labor to create the Higher Education Productivity and Performance Commission to promote university efficiency.