Australians have been urged to value vocational training the same as university degrees in the face of a massive skills shortfall.
The challenge will be thrown down by Skills Minister Andrew Giles in a speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, where he will also unveil a $30 million boost to grow the number of vocational teachers.
The money will be used to increase the number of electrical and construction teachers as well as those from Indigenous backgrounds.
Mr Giles will also use the speech to call for vocational education and training to be equally valued as universities for career opportunities.
“I am concerned that in Australia we don’t have … parity of esteem between the tertiary pathways,” Mr Giles will say.
“Right now, we aren’t on track to match qualifications to job requirements. We need to change this.”
He will say nine out of 10 new jobs are expected to require some form of tertiary education, with half of those from VET courses and the other half from university.
Vocational training cannot be treated as a “plan B” option by society, Mr Giles will argue.
“VET is a key driver of national productivity and of individual opportunity,” he says.
For every new qualified tradie, an additional 2.4 houses can be built each year, according to research from Master Builders Australia.
Mr Giles says Australia will only achieve the national goal of four in five Australians holding a TAFE qualification or a university degree if the “artificial barrier” between vocational and higher education is broken down.
He says the nation must also ensure migrants are recognised for their skills through effective regulation and enforcement.
“Too many have been held back from making their contributions to this country,” he will say.
Fee-free TAFE has resulted in more than 650,000 enrolments across the country, with 170,000 of those courses already completed.
Job seekers and people living with disability comprised 200,000 enrolments while more than six in 10 are women.
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