666 Apprenticeships gone in Page under the Nationals
New figures released by the Department of Education show
that apprenticeship numbers in Page have fallen by 31.5 per cent in two years,
with a loss of 666 apprenticeships in the Page electorate.
Janelle Saffin, Federal Labor Candidate for Page said disappointingly
Mr Hogan and the rest of the Nationals have allowed this to happen, with these
figures replicated across Australia, with 130,000 apprenticeships gone
nationally.
The number of apprenticeships in Page dropped from 2,117
at 31 December 2013, to just 1,451 at 31 December 2015.
“The retreat from supporting apprentices and the
vocational education and training sector started with Mr Abbott and Mr Truss,
and it continues with Mr Turnbull and Mr Joyce,” Ms Saffin said.
“I am serious about investing in apprentices, skills and
training in Page.
“The Nationals have cut $2.75 billion from the skills
portfolio, including $1 billion in cuts to apprentices by scrapping the Tools
for Your Trade program and access and mentoring programs.
“How can they talk ‘jobs and growth’ and then decimate apprenticeships
and the VET sector?
“It’s vital that we train and retrain our workforce to
improve participation, productivity, and innovation. This is what will drive
growth in our region.
“Kevin Hogan and the Nationals have been missing in
action on apprenticeships and jobs.”
Ms Saffin said Labor had a comprehensive set of policies
to help apprentices, skills and training, including among other policy
measures:
• A TAFE Funding Guarantee.
• $8,000 cap on VET FEE-HELP loans per year and a VET
sector ombudsman.
• A sector-wide national review to ensure vocational
education is able to meet the
training needs of the nation.
• Establishing Commonwealth Institutes of Higher
Education to deliver new technical
and education opportunities to areas where access remains
difficult and participation is too low.
• Boosting apprenticeships across the country by:
- creating
new apprenticeship opportunities through setting a quota of
apprentices
on major
federally-funded projects.
- reintroducing
the Tools for Your Trade program at $3,000 per apprentice to
support
them from commencement to completion.
- restoring
support for Group Training organisations.
- creating
pathways into apprenticeships for 10,000 young people unemployed
people
through the Apprentice Ready program.
- piloting
a National Skills Recognition Entitlement program with 5,000
places to
help
mature-aged, retrenched workers turn their extensive work experience into
formal
qualifications.
- connecting
potential apprentices with jobs and training through an
Apprenticeships
Connect search
portal.
- appointing
a dedicated Apprentice Advocate.
“Only a Shorten Labor Government will deliver the support
for apprentices and TAFE that local residents expect and a vocational education
system that delivers a skilled workforce for the future,” Ms Saffin said.
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