The local member and Minister Giles met with students at Kangan TAFE this morning, to celebrate more than 2,625 local enrolments in Free TAFE.
Labor is delivering the training Australians want, and they skills they need to get ahead.
The Liberals must come clean to the community and tell the truth about whether they will cut funding for thousands of Free TAFE students.
The Liberals have voted against making Free TAFE permanent for all Australians and Peter Dutton has confirmed huge cuts.
His Shadow Assistant Treasurer said: “We’ll spell out our reductions and what we’ll take to the election… we’ve said that we won’t do free TAFE.”
The Liberals have labelled Free TAFE as ‘wasteful spending’ and on top of that, their Deputy Leader, Sussan Ley, believes ‘if you don’t pay for something, you don’t value it.’
The Liberals have laid the groundwork for cuts to education and training.
In Bendigo there have been 2,627 Free TAFE enrolments since the program started.
That’s 2,627 opportunities to help build Australia’s future – in critical skills areas like construction, health and early childhood education.
Last year, there was a more than 32% rise in enrolments in Free TAFE courses in Bendigo.
Since the Albanese Labor Government’s program started in 2023, there have been more than 108,400 Free TAFE enrolments in Victoria.
The most popular courses sectors in Bendigo are:
Bendigo City
- Diploma of Community Services
- Diploma of Nursing
- Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care
- Certificate IV in Training and Assessment
- Certificate III in Individual Support
Charleston Road
- Certificate IV in Plumbing Services
- Certificate IV in Vet Nursing
- Certificate III in Horticulture
- Certificate II in Electrotechnology
- Certificate II in Automotive Vocational Preparation
Examples of student fee savings include:
- A student enrolled in a Diploma of Community Services in Bendigo could save up to $10,303.02
- A student enrolled in a Diploma of Nursing in Bendigo could save up to $19,785.93
- A student enrolled in a Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care in Bendigo could save up to $5,168.69
- A student enrolled in a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment in Bendigo could save up to $3,567.73
- A student enrolled in a Certificate III in Individual Support in Bendigo could save up to $4,111.88
Quotes attributable to Bendigo MP Lisa Chesters:
“Free TAFE is changing the lives of so many people across our region.
“I’ve spoken with countless locals who agree that Free TAFE is all about opportunity, fairness, and a stronger future for all Australians.
“This is about investing in our growing industries, like the care economy, early childhood and housing construction, ensuring more locals have the skills they need to thrive and a qualification to get ahead.
“Whether you are a young person looking for a new start, a mum trying to look after her kids and re-enter the workforce or a worker retraining for a new career, Free TAFE is about making sure you have the opportunity to get the skills you need without being held back by the cost.”
Quotes attributable to Minister for Skills and Training Andrew Giles:
“The Liberals have consistently labelled Free TAFE as ‘wasteful spending’ and, extraordinarily, Peter Dutton has said cutting ‘wasteful spending’ is part of his plan.
“When we came to government, we inherited the worst skills shortage in more than half a century after the Liberals ripped billions of dollars out of TAFE and closed training centres down around the nation.
“There is now a clear choice: the Liberals who will cut Free TAFE and the jobs that come with it, or Anthony Albanese and Labor who will lock Free TAFE into law and build Australia’s future.”
