Government “starving” vocational training
The Australian Education Union has criticized the Federal Government’s so-called starving of Vocational Education and Training (VET). The release of Australian Vocational Education & Training Statistics has shown that Commonwealth Funding for VET was nearly a dollar less per student hour in 2004 than it was in 1997. Numbers of students undertaking training are at their lowest level since 1997 despite government claims that funding in the sector has been increased. The Union has also been critical of the government’s proposed Australian Technical Colleges which will be privatized institutions operating under Australian Work Place agreements and with performance pay structures. Pat Forward, Federal TAFE secretary of the Australian Education Union explained to Sarah Greenlees why she believes the government needs to get serious about vocational education and training.