Back in May, TAFE Directors Australia CEO, Craig Robertson, accused the federal government of acting like a “pay-day lender” when it comes to the loan fee it imposes on TAFE students. Robertson noted that university students do not have to pay a loan fee, and that the government treats vocational education and training (VET) as a “second-class sector”. Jon Black, the head of TAFE New South Wales, similarly stated that it’s no wonder that TAFE enrolments are down when students are expected to pay loan fees.
As I noted at the time, the adversarial treatment of the TAFE sector makes little sense in light of technicians and trades having by far the most pressing skills shortages, according to the Department of Employment:
