tafe fees set to increase

The Age, 2 June 2008

In a bid to tackle the ‘skills crisis’, the Victorian Government is planning to overhaul the current vocational education
and training funding model. The Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, Ms Jacinta Allan, hopes the overhaul
will see ‘more people obtain higher qualifications’.

According to The Age, students studying for advance diplomas in engineering, computer science and teaching could be facing significant fee increases as the Victorian Government moves to bring the TAFE sector ‘in line with other states’.

It is also believed that the increase of fees will be coupled with plans to introduce a ‘HECS-style loan scheme’ to TAFEs.
Ms Allan stated that: ‘the fundamental aim of reforming Victoria’s training system is to encourage thousands more Victorians to take up training for the first time or upgrade their qualifications’.

The Age has also reported that the proposed overhaul of the sector will see TAFEs competing with private institutions
and providers for students, as well as relying on businesses and individuals to ‘contribute more to the cost of vocational education and training.’

Even though the Victorian Government has not yet announced the final fee increase, the national secretary of the Australian Workers Union, Mr Paul Howes, has said that ‘the reason why we have a skills shortage is that far greater
value is put on universities than vocational education programmes’. He further believes that higher TAFE fees are ‘a
small price to pay for boosting productivity.’

 

 

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