Today's National Centre for Vocational Research (NCVER) report on Government Funding of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in 2022 has confirmed that the Malinauskas Labor Government inherited a budget of cuts for training and skills.
The report highlights that the government funding of VET in 2022 declined by 2.7 per cent with a 5.1 per cent decline in recurrent funding for training baked into the budget by the former Government. The report also confirms a 30.8 per cent decline in capital funding to TAFE SA by the former government.
And in the forward estimates, the former Liberal Government left annual declines in funding for training, along with massive cuts for TAFE SA.
The Malinauskas Labor Government has taken strong action since coming to government to reverse this trend, with the first two budgets making significant investments including:
*$8.8 million to address skills shortages in areas including cookery, bricklaying and concreting
* Over $12 million to return aged care, disability and early childhood courses to TAFE SA's metropolitan campuses
* $28 million to provide not-for-profit and industry training providers with additional funding to address skills shortages
* $9 million in equipment and capital grants for TAFE SA, not-for-profit and industry providers
* $5 million to upgrade TAFE SA's Mount Gambier campus.
Last week's historic signing of the $2.3 billion National Skills Agreement (NSA) will not only reverse the declining investment in skills left by the previous government but will see the largest increase in funding for skills in the State's history.
The NSA includes significant additional funding and training places for TAFE SA and non-government providers across the forward estimates. It also provides funding to increase completion rates, close the gap, and expand access to critical literacy, numeracy and digital skills for those who need it.
The Malinauskas Labor Government will work with industry, unions and training providers in the coming months to ensure the funding is allocated to the areas of greatest labour market demand – with a SA Skills Plan to be released early next year.
As put by Blair Boyer
Today's NCVER report confirms that the former Liberal Government had the skills system ready to fall off a cliff – and I am proud that the Malinauskas Labor Government has reversed that.
It is beyond belief that the former government would cut funding as we came out of COVID given the skills shortages we are facing.
Unlike the Liberal Party, the Malinauskas Labor Government is investing in skills and investing in TAFE SA – that's why we're seeing apprenticeships higher than before COVID and higher enrolments in TAFE and VET.
The National Skills Agreement is a game-changer for SA and will mean more South Australians will get the skills they need for the jobs we need filling.
