Vocational education and training (VET) in Victoria was in crisis under the previous Liberal Government, the 2014 Victorian Training Market Report shows.
The report, released today by the Department of Education and Training, shows the most vulnerable Victorians missed out on training and jobs after the Liberal’s TAFE cuts.
Enrolments at TAFEs dropped by 33 per cent over the past year. Government-funded training enrolments by regional students, trainees, disabled and disadvantaged learners were all in decline.
The number of students in apprenticeships and traineeships was down by 40 per cent since the Liberals’ disastrous 2012 VET reforms.
At the same time, there was a 29 per cent decline in young people aged 15 to 19 in government-funded training. The number of regional students in training fell by 19 per cent.
As public providers, TAFEs have traditionally looked after the most vulnerable students and as often the only providers of training in rural and regional areas, it is disturbing that the previous government’s massive cuts to TAFE funding have led to the impacts seen in this report.
Since 2012, the number of students in government-funded VET was down by 13 per cent. Government-funded training enrolments fell 17 per cent.
Since the previous Government came to office TAFE’s share of the training market dropped to 25 per cent from 44 per cent.
The 2014 Victorian Training Market Report is the final end-of-year analysis of training activity in Victoria in 2014. The report is online at .
Quotes attributable to Minister for Training and Skills, Steve Herbert
“Liberal cuts hurt TAFE, training and jobs and this report is the evidence.”
“This is bad news for individuals, for our economy, and for employers who rely on skilled workers.”
“There is no quick-fix, but the Andrews Labor Government’s $320 million TAFE Rescue Fund is saving the campuses on the brink, supporting more students and creating more jobs.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020