25 August 2020
Federal Labor Senator for Victoria, Raff Ciccone said it will be harder for locals in regional Victoria to get jobs coming out of the recession because the Morrison Liberal Government has cut TAFE and abandoned apprentices.
Senator Ciccone used National Skills Week to remind locals that the Liberals have cut more than $3 billion from TAFE and training, and that 140,000 apprentices and trainees have been lost nationwide.
“In Gippsland we have lost 1,637 apprentices and trainees since the Liberals and Nationals came to office in 2013, a drop of 42.06 per cent. Indi has lost 1,946 apprentices and trainess, or 44.73 per cent since 2013.
“Mallee has lost 1,567 apprentices and trainees while Monash has lost 595, representing a loss of 41.38 per cent and 27.29 per cent respectively.
“Nicholls has lost 1,542 apprentices and trainees or 43.05 per cent since the Liberals and Nationals came to office, while Wannon has lost 1,149 apprentices and trainees, or 30.96 per cent since 2013.
“That means the Liberal National Government is not helping train locals for the jobs that will become available as we recover from the recession – it’s not good enough.
“We will need tradies and other critical workers to help our nation recover after coronavirus – to lift us out of recession – so why won’t the Liberal Nationals do more to train young locals now?
“Youth unemployment has gone through the roof – if young people in regional Victoria can’t get work, the Government should be doing everything they can to help them study,” Senator Ciccone said.
“By locking young Australians out of TAFE and training, the Liberal National Government is locking them out jobs.
“Labor is different. We believe education and jobs go hand in hand,” Senator Ciccone said.
“Every parent knows that a good education is the ticket to a lifetime of opportunity for their kids.”
