Delivering an election victory for public education

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22 July 2025

When the Albanese government announced in November 2024 that Free TAFE would be made permanent, it was a major breakthrough for public vocational education, and a clear division between the two major political parties. It was an historic commitment and one that acknowledged both the transformative power of TAFE and the hard-fought campaigning by AEU members across the country. It was also a moment that underscored the power of the union movement – and the strength of the Rebuild with TAFE campaign.

When Minister for Skills and Training The Hon Andrew Giles MP introduced the Free TAFE Bill in November 2024, the AEU publicly endorsed the Bill, called on the opposition and crossbenchers to support Free TAFE, and encouraged submissions to the Senate Committee Inquiry into Free TAFE, ensuring members’ voices were front and centre. AEU federal secretary Kevin Bates and AEU federal TAFE secretary Angela Dean also appeared before that committee to present the benefits of permanent Free TAFE.

Coalition members, including then Shadow Education Minister Sarah Henderson and current Opposition Leader Sussan Ley, flagged their intent to cut this crucial funding, with Ley calling Free TAFE a “flop”.

In the final sitting week before the election was called, with support from the Greens and crossbench senators David Pocock, Fatima Payman and Jacqui Lambie, the Free TAFE Bill 2024 passed the Parliament on 26 March 2025, guaranteeing 100,000 Free TAFE places a year from 2027.

This is a victory for students, TAFE teachers, the Rebuild with TAFE community and public TAFE as a whole. Free TAFE is an important milestone in the effort to Rebuild with TAFE and allows members to now focus on the next steps.

Positive pathways

Under the Albanese government there has been a reinvigoration of the TAFE sector as a whole. We have seen increased funding for TAFE through the National Skills Agreement, TAFE Centres of Excellence being established around the country in key areas of skill shortage, increased enrolments and additional supports for people from priority cohorts, and incentives to help people finish their studies, such as accessing Commonwealth Prac Payments from 1 July for eligible TAFE students undertaking mandatory work placements as part of their Diploma of Nursing studies.

This renewed commitment to TAFE is delivering opportunity, skills, and career pathways to hundreds of thousands of students.

This wasn’t a win that came out of nowhere. It was the result of years of work by AEU members who have fought to put TAFE as the public provider at the heart of vocational education. It was also the result of one of the most powerful and visible campaigns we have run.

Hearts for TAFE

The AEU’s Rebuild with TAFE campaign was a defining feature of the 2025 federal election and the election result made one thing very clear: Australians support TAFE.

Throughout the federal election campaign, AEU members mobilised around the Rebuild with TAFE campaign. You letterboxed, spoke to your communities, and made clear that voters faced two options: keep building a strong, public TAFE system under Labor, or see it dismantled once again under a Coalition government.

In the first weekend of the campaign alone, members letterboxed thousands of homes across the country, armed with Rebuild with TAFE flyers and stories of how TAFE was changing lives and strengthening communities.

The campaign ensured voters understood exactly what was at risk: a $1.5 billion Coalition funding cut, a return to failed Howard-era technical colleges, and a renewed push for privatisation of vocational education.

The public listened and Australians voted decisively to protect Free TAFE and ensure it remains a permanent part of our education system.

TAFE changes lives

The Rebuild with TAFE campaign didn’t only promote the benefits of Free TAFE, it showed how TAFE has changed lives. It told the stories of TAFE teachers sharing what secure jobs and strong enrolment numbers mean for their futures. Students could share how their lives were transformed through accessible, affordable training and the result was voters saw the value of investing in public education and made their voices heard at the ballot box.

The Rebuild with TAFE campaign helped shape the national debate and influenced the outcome of the election. It demonstrated what’s possible when TAFE teachers, union members and communities come together with a shared vision for public education.

In the months ahead, AEU National TAFE Council Executive will determine the next phase of the campaign, which will keep fighting for:

  • increased, long-term investment in TAFE to meet growing student demand
  • secure, permanent, well-paid jobs for TAFE teachers
  • protection of TAFE’s role as the anchor of Australia’s vocational education system

Further ahead

In 2025, federal government student debt relief and the legislation of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission (ATEC) will have significant impacts for TAFE teachers, with the legislation of ATEC likely to influence the policy settings for both the prices of qualifications as well as curriculum and course design.

Through Jobs and Skills Australia, the federal government has demonstrated a commitment to tripartism by engaging with unions and industry, and the AEU will continue to fight for these campaign objectives and ensure that the voices of members influence policy debate as these changes unfold.

This includes the Prime Minister’s recent announcement to convene a roundtable to support and shape the government’s growth and productivity agenda. Just as TAFE was central to the Jobs and Skills Summit in 2022, there is a significant place for TAFE to contribute to Australia’s productivity, and the upcoming roundtable.

TAFE has changed lives and the federal election proved just how much Australians value it. To every member who knocked on a door, handed out a flyer, shared a post, spoke to their community, or stood up for TAFE in any way, this victory is yours.

Thank you for rebuilding with TAFE. And thank you for showing the country what a powerful force public education can be. Now it’s time to not only continue rebuilding TAFE, but to ensure TAFE is fully supported to continue to deliver world-class vocational education into the future.

By Correna Haythorpe, AEU Federal President

This article was originally published in The Australian TAFE Teacher, Winter 2025