TANYA PLIBERSEK MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING
MEMBER FOR SYDNEY

BRENDAN O’CONNOR MP
SHADOW MINISTER FOR EMPLOYMENT AND INDUSTRY
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SCIENCE
SHADOW MINISTER FOR SMALL AND FAMILY BUSINESS
MEMBER FOR GORTON


SCOTT MORRISON’S TRAINING ANNOUNCEMENT

For months, Labor has been urging Scott Morrison to take serious action to save apprentices and keep Australians in work. For months he didn’t, while thousands of apprentice tradies – including plumbers, carpenters, and metalworkers – lost their jobs.

It’s very disappointing the Liberals didn’t do more sooner. It has cost many people their livelihoods. 

We’ll have a close look at what the Government’s proposed today. If their plan will better support apprentices and keep people in jobs, we’ll support it.

But you’ll excuse us for being sceptical.

What you usually get from Scott Morrison is a marketing slogan one day, then a whole lot of nasty detail the next. Just look at the mess they’ve made of childcare and universities. 

The Liberals have an appalling track record on TAFE and training.

Seven years of Liberal government has seen $3 billion cut from TAFE and training, widespread skills shortages, and 140,000 apprentices and trainees lost before COVID-19.

The Liberals’ announcement today won’t make up for their seven years of neglect.

It doesn’t do enough to support TAFE.

It doesn’t do enough to get more Australians to take up a trade apprenticeship. What will happen in a few years’ time when we need skilled tradies to help rebuild the economy, but there aren’t enough of them? 

The Liberals can’t say how they will guarantee the quality of their short courses, or whether there will be jobs for people when they finish.

Scott Morrison’s short course announcement would mean, on average, less than $300 a day for two weeks of training.

It would be alarming if Scott Morrison was seeking to artificially supress Australia’s unemployment numbers by funnelling young people into cheap, dodgy short courses. 

THURSDAY, 16 JULY 2020