A study by the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) of Australian Vocational Education and Training (VET) funding through 2020 has found the Morrison Government provided the vast majority of the increase to funding across the skills and training sector, including TAFE.
The NCVER study found the Morrison Government increased funding from $2.65 billion in 2019 to $3.83 billion in 2020 (excluding loans), an increase of $1.18 billion or 44.7 per cent. Over the same period the State and territory governments’ combined contribution increased from $3.72 billion in 2019 to $3.86 billion in 2020, an increase of $142.2 million or 3.8 per cent.
The report found ongoing annual funding through the National Agreement for Skills and Workforce Development (NASWD), that supports state and territory governments to deliver VET services and the running of their training systems, increased to $1.55 billion while overall payments to TAFE increased 25.6 per cent from 2019.
Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business, Stuart Robert, said the report confirms the Morrison Government is the best friend the VET and TAFE sectors have ever had.
‘The Morrison Government has delivered the highest number of trade apprentices on record, hundreds of thousands of Australians are upskilling or reskilling thanks to JobTrainer, TAFE funding has increased, and record levels of Commonwealth financial supports are in place to support Australians to get world-leading job-ready skills,’ Minister Robert said.
‘This report once again demonstrates the Morrison Government’s significant supports during the pandemic will help to maintain and grow Australia’s workforce through the greatest economic shock since the Great Depression-thanks to our efforts in 2020, 2021 is proving to be the Year of the Australian Apprentice.’
‘The NCVER report confirms the Morrison Government is doing the heavy lifting required to support the skills sector, including TAFE.’
This increase is attributed to the Commonwealth’s successful Supporting Apprentices and Trainees wage subsidy and an increase in Commonwealth transfers to states. These transfers included an increase to funding under the NASWD Specific Purpose Payment and payments to states under national partnerships such as the JobTrainer Fund and the National Infection Control Training Fund.
