Albanese pledges fee-free TAFE as election campaign kicks off

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has thrown Labor’s first election pitch at a major campaign rally in Adelaide on Sunday, saying he is “determined to win the election next year”.

Addressing supporters, Mr Albanese said his government came to power with an array of “challenges”.

“We came to office knowing this is a time of serious and urgent challenges for global economic uncertainty,” he said.

“A worldwide surge in inflation and energy prices. And Australia’s relationships with our own region under strain.

“And at home, aged care was in crisis, Medicare under threat, bulk billing in free fall, real wages going backwards not by accident but as a deliberate design feature of the economic architecture.

“Our energy grid had been run down by years of ideology and neglect.

“And skills and manufacturing hollowed out to the point that in the midst of a global pandemic we nearly ran out of masks and could not make any more here.

“These are the challenges we have had to face. This is the mess we have worked to clean up.”

Mr Albanese confirmed that education was at the core of his government’s vision for a second term.

'Free' TAFE pledge

Among the Prime Ministers first election promises is a pledge to pass laws making TAFE education free for 100,000 students each year from 2027.

During the Adelaide rally Mr Albanese unveiled the plan to “lock in free TAFE and make it permanent nationwide.”

“TAFE and university are equally important to our workforce and equally vital to our future,” he said.

“And the choice to enrol in one or the other should be driven by one consideration alone – what is best for the student.

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Mr Albanese said the proposal would help more people get the skills they need in the modern Australian economy.

“More tradies to build more homes. More apprentices getting a start. More carers to look after our loved ones, whether they be young or old,” he said.

“More opportunities for Australians to train and retrain in a changing economy.

“TAFE gives our country and our people all of this, and as long as there is a Labor government, free TAFE is here to stay.”

The pledge builds on the 180,000 fee-free TAFE places already secured since Labor was elected in May 2022.

The Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation (ANMF) has welcomed the proposal, with union federal secretary Annie Butler saying the move has the potential to address skills shortages in the nursing and aged care workforces.

“TAFE courses have proven to be a success in providing students with ‘hands-on’ training and placements in relevant healthcare settings, helping build the nation’s nursing and aged care workforce, to meet the needs of our growing, ageing population,” Ms Butler said.

“In a cost-of-living crisis, the Albanese Government’s commitment to continue with free TAFE courses will save a student nurse thousands of dollars a year in course fees. For example, in Queensland, a student enrolled in a Diploma of Nursing course would save almost $16,000.

“We need to urgently grow the next generation of high-quality health and aged care workers and removing cost-barriers like these will continue to attract students into care industries which are still struggling to find suitably-trained staff.

“Fee-free TAFE courses will help recruit new enrolled nurses into the profession and deliver a pipeline of suitably-trained job-ready workers and the ANMF commends the government on its commitment to supporting the health and aged care workforce.”

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