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Builders urge caution over legislating fee-free TAFE

Master Builders Australia argues that the legislation of free TAFE courses is not the best solution to industry skills shortages, due to potential unintended consequences

Master Builders Australia says while it is mostly supportive in principle of fee-free vocational education courses, it believes legislating the Free TAFE Bill 2024 could have unintended impacts on highly successful not-for-profit, private registered training organisations (RTOs).

“Free TAFE initiatives unfairly distort the market towards TAFE-delivered courses over industry-led providers,” Master Builders CEO Denita Wawn says.

“We have not seen the free TAFE policy bring more people into building and construction apprenticeships; rather, it has simply reshuffled the deck.”

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If the government does seek to pass the Bill, Wawn says it must be amended to include not-for-profit industry-run RTOs.

The building and construction industry association claimed that there was currently no adequate data to show that the Free TAFE initiative had worked.

Wawn adds that Master Builders Australia wants practical and evidence-based solutions to labour shortages in the industry which is crucial to addressing the housing crisis.

“Australia’s building and construction industry faces the enormous task of building enough homes, commercial premises and infrastructure to meet increasing demand and a growing population,” Master Builders Australia says.

“Labour shortages are the biggest source of pressure to deliver these goals.”

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