Labor knows the transformative impact that a good education can have on your life.
It’s clear the Morrison Government sees education as just a commodity. That’s the difference between us and them. Labor believes that a great education, from early education right through to universities and TAFEs, is the ticket to a lifetime of opportunity.
A Labor Government will:
- Fix the fundamentals of our schools. Australia should be at the top of the pack, not the bottom.
- Restore the status of TAFE and training in Australia.
- Reverse the trend that has seen places cut and fees double at our universities
- Supercharge innovation with loans for 2,000 new firms.
- 465,000 Free TAFE places under Labor's Future Made in Australia Skills Plan
- Up to 20,000 extra university places to help fix skills shortages and fill future skills needs.
Our schools should lead the world.
Public education is one of our great achievements as a society, and it always should be. But under the Morrison Government, we’ve seen almost a decade of declining school results in reading, maths and science. We need a Labor Government to fix the fundamentals of our schools. We need a school system where no one is held back and no one is left behind.
Rebuilding skills and training.
Australian workers are second to none. But under the Morrison Government, there are at least 100,000 fewer people doing an apprenticeship or traineeship than there were almost a decade ago. Labor will bring back apprenticeships, guaranteeing that one in 10 workers on federally-funded projects will be an apprentice, trainee or cadet. We’ll also back in TAFE, ensuring at least 70% of all public funding for vocational education goes to TAFE.
A stronger university system.
The Morrison Government has shown nothing but disdain for our uni sector. They excluded universities from JobKeeper and as a result we’ve seen tens of thousands of jobs lost. Labor will halt the neglect of our university system that has seen places cut and fees double. Under a Labor Government, if you get the marks, you should get the opportunity to go to university.
Free TAFE.
Labor’s plan for free TAFE will tackle the skills gap in critical workforces. Under this plan Australian students studying in industries with a skills shortage will have access to 465,000 free TAFE places. Additionally, Labor will work closely with industry and unions for opportunities which allow workers to transfer and build on their education and training.
More University places.
Labor’s Future Made in Australia Skills Plan will also deliver up to 20,000 new university places. This will help fix areas of skills shortages and fill future skills needs by training Australians in jobs including engineering, nursing, tech, and teaching. Places will also be prioritised for universities offering more opportunities for under-represented groups such as people in regional, remote and outer-suburban areas, those who are the first in their family to study at university, and First Nations Australians.
