Prior to the Federal election being called, the government presented its 2025 Budget, and the Opposition leader gave his Budget-in-reply.
In the Budget the government included:
- Turbocharging TAFE Centres of Excellence – providing an additional $31.6m over 3 years to ‘fast-track’ TAFE Centres of Excellence – in addition to the funding already allocated in the National Skills Agreement.
- An investment of $80m over 3 years for ‘Skilling the Clean Energy, Manufacturing and Construction Workforces.’ The TAFE Sector will receive $50m to “support new and upgraded TAFE facilities” and there is $30m for “existing initiatives and new measures that will rapidly upskill teachers, trainers and assessors.”
- $4.7m will be allocated to ASQA “for urgent enforcement activity to counter fraud in the VET sector. This surge resourcing will support ASQA to undertake necessary compliance actions to address serious integrity issues which pose a risk to the community and to the reputation of Australia’s VET sector.”
- Changes to apprenticeship incentives will be finalised after a six month consultation period to “develop a new ‘gateway model’ for the incentives system”. The new measures will “reframe the New Energy Apprenticeships Program as the Key Apprenticeship Program and expand it to capture critical residential construction occupations,” extend the current Australian Apprenticeship Incentive System for a further six months, and increase the Disability Australian Apprentice Wage Support subsidy and the Living Away From Home Allowance.
- The National Careers Institute is being wound up, but it appears that the work it had responsibility for will continue to be advanced by officials within the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations.
In his Budget-reply speech, the Opposition Leader committed to introducing targeted incentive payments of $12,000 for small and medium sized businesses to take on apprentices, with an overall aim of having 400,000 apprentices and trainees in training.
