Builders want to pause and examine results before legislation of ‘fee free’ TAFE

MASTER BUILDERS Australia is urging the Federal Government to wait for more data before considering legislating the Fee Free TAFE Bill 2024.

In reaction to the government’s inquiry into the Free TAFE Bill 2024, the nation’s peak building and construction industry association has cautioned against legislating the policy in the absence of data and its unintended consequences.

“Free TAFE initiatives unfairly distort the market towards TAFE-delivered courses over industry-led providers,” Master Builders Australia CEO Denita Wawn said.

“We have not seen the free TAFE policy bring more people into building and construction apprenticeships; rather, it has simply reshuffled the deck.

“The proposed Bill is anti-competitive and creates a market distortion and should not be committed to legislation. If the government does seek to pass the Bill, it must be amended to include not-for-profit industry-run RTOs,” Ms Wawn said. 

Ms Wawn said Australia’s building and construction industry faces the enormous task of building enough homes, commercial premises and infrastructure to meet increasing demand and a growing population.

Labour shortages are the biggest source of pressure to deliver these goals, she said.

While Master Builders Australia is supportive in principle of fee-free vocational education courses – “and the Albanese Government’s skills and training agenda in general,” Ms Wawn said – the legislation of free TAFE is unnecessary and will have unintended impacts on highly successful not-for-profit, private registered training organisations (RTOs).

Ms Wawn said as yet, there was no adequate data to show that the Free TAFE initiative has worked, “as it is still too early in the piece”.

“This Federal Election, we are looking at all parties for practical and evidence-based solutions to labour shortages in the industry which is crucial to addressing the housing crisis,” Ms Wawn said. 

Master Builders released its blueprint for increasing the attraction and retention of apprentices in the industry, which can be read here.

More information is available in the Master Builders submission:  MBA Submission_Free TAFE.pdf  

www.masterbuilders.com.au

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