7 November 2001

The Australian Education Union (AEU) today welcomed the commitment by the ALP to re-examination of the current Australian National Training Authority (ANTA) Agreement. (The ANTA Agreement is the mechanism for providing Commonwealth vocational education and training funds to the States and Territories).

The AEU Federal TAFE Secretary, Rex Hewett said today:

"Over the last three years, Coalition policies hit TAFE with a 'double whammy', starving TAFE of funds to meet enrolment growth while diverting funds to private training providers through so called 'user choice' mechanisms. As a result over 40,000 students missed out on a TAFE place last year and enormous pressure was imposed on TAFE resources."

"Just prior to the federal election, the Coalition locked in funding through the ANTA Agreement for the next three years which falls far short of the real needs of TAFE."

"Recently the Shadow Minister for Education, Michael Lee, indicated in a letter to the AEU that a Labor Government would seek to '…reach agreement with the States and Territories on future funding for TAFE to address the needs of the public TAFE system for growth funds and to restore the system following the Coalition policies of funding starvation and neglect'."

"Mr Lee also indicated that a Labor Government would develop with the States and Territories an appropriate policy on user choice '…which, while recognising the needs of employers also recognises that user choice can damage the quality and breadth of training in thin markets'."

The ANTA Agreement needs to be reviewed to ensure it provides appropriate levels of funding for training and retraining to develop a highly skilled Australian workforce. Mr Hewett said that "Labor's proposed creation of an additional 35,000 fully federally funded Knowledge Nation Apprenticeships is a welcome first step and stands in stark contrast to the Coalition policies of depriving TAFE of funds and deliberately running down the public education system."

Contact:
AEU Federal TAFE President, Pat Forward on mob. 0425 743 954
AEU Federal TAFE Secretary, Rex Hewett on mob. 0418 326 437