National TAFE Day

Image Not Found.

This year’s official National TAFE Day celebration took place on 13 June, and QTU TAFE branches across the state celebrated the success of TAFE in providing the skills and knowledge required in a growing, evolving economy.

Representatives of the QTU TAFE Division were hosted at a breakfast by the Minister for Training and Skills Yvette D'Ath and members of the Palaszczuk government. The Budget handed down by the state government on the same day provided increased direct funding for the public provider in what are clearly difficult financial times, given the federal government’s intransigence regarding the national partnership agreement.

At the national level, the AEU, along with the AMWU and the ETU, hosted representatives and Members of Parliament from across the country at a reception at Parliament House. Bill Shorten, the Leader of the Opposition, reiterated federal Labor’s commitment to two out of every three dollars going to TAFE under a Labor government. Calling TAFE a community for building Australia, he reinforced the policy commitment to the public provider with funding to rebuild TAFE facilities. Given the high profile failure of so many for-profit providers in recent months, it is reassuring to see one of the major parties taking on the challenge of restoring TAFE to the position of preeminent vocational education provider.

David Terauds                                                                                                                     TAFE Organiser

Queensland Teachers' Journal, Vol 122 No 5, 21 July 2017, p23