- Cook Government investment delivers highest vocational
course enrolments on record
- More than 153,800 publicly funded vocational course
enrolments in 2023, up 10 per cent from 2022
- Free and low fee courses driving demand in training
participation
- Care sector qualifications see biggest leap in enrolments
- Enrolments by students with disability, women, and
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people also surge
Western Australians continue to jump at opportunities from
the Cook Government's investment in affordable training, with a new record high
of over 153,800 publicly funded vocational course enrolments recorded in 2023.
Publicly funded course enrolments increased almost 10 per
cent from 2022 and builds on the State's previous record of 150,310 enrolments
in 2021.
There were more than 38,300 publicly funded enrolments in
fee free courses and skill sets in 2023, up 33 per cent on the same period in 2022. An additional 57,994 enrolments
were recorded through the Lower fees, local skills initiative.
Both the 2023 and 2021 records were driven by a strong
uptake in the Cook Government's free and low fee courses.
The Cook Government's strategic investment in training,
targeted at priority sectors and cohorts, is working, with more Western
Australians than ever getting the skills industries need.
Health care and social
assistance qualifications - including early childhood education and
care, individual support, and nursing - continue to
attract strong interest among fee free courses into 2024, after recording some
of the biggest enrolment increases in 2023.
There were also an additional 57,994 enrolments recorded
through the Lower fees, local skills initiative, with would-be tradies snapping
up opportunities in heavily discounted courses.
Some of the most popular courses were in electrical, civil construction,
engineering and carpentry.
Strong participation in vocational training is essential for
meeting Western Australia's skills needs now and into the future, and as the
Cook Government positions the State to take up opportunities from the
transition to a net zero economy.
The Western Australian training sector is already helping
Western Australians build the skills they need to decarbonise the economy and
transition to clean energy, in areas such as construction, engineering,
logistics, maritime, gas fitting, and electrical trades.
Fee free and
low fee courses are also proving effective in removing cost barriers to
training for groups under-represented in WA's workforce.
A significant increase in the
number of students reporting disability were among the biggest successes of the
2023 fee free courses, with publicly funded enrolments up by 19 per cent, or
2,200 additional enrolments, compared to 2022.
Publicly funded training
enrolments by women increased by 12 per cent in 2023. Around two-thirds of all
enrolments in fee free full qualifications in 2023 were undertaken by women.
There were more than 12,450
enrolments by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in 2023 - up five
per cent - or just over 500 additional enrolments compared to 2022. Eight per
cent of all publicly funded enrolments across WA were undertaken by Aboriginal
people.
The State
Government announced an $8 million top-up in the 2024-25 State Budget to
continue to meet high demand for the successful Fee Free TAFE initiative in
2025.
The Cook Government is also driving the largest TAFE capital
works program in WA's history, with 15 projects to upgrade essential
infrastructure at TAFE colleges across the State thanks to a $250 million
investment. A further $25 million has been invested in modernising equipment at
TAFEs across WA.
Comments attributed
to Premier Roger Cook:
"My Government is committed to training local people for
local jobs - ensuring all Western Australians can benefit from our booming
economy.
"It's exciting, but not surprising, to see record numbers of
students snapping up opportunities to study at TAFE, on the back of my
Government's free and low cost training.
"These qualifications will set thousands of West Australians
up for rewarding, well-paying careers - and ensure we can get boots on the
ground on the industries where we need them most."
Comments attributed
to Training and Workforce Development Minister Simone McGurk:
"More West Australians are in training than ever before -
it's great to see so many locals answering the call and getting the skills they
need to land jobs and transform their lives.
"Our free and low-cost training has been a game-changer -
helping record numbers of people learn skills in areas where they're needed
most, such as the care sector, construction and hospitality.
"It's particularly encouraging to
see more First Nations people, young people, women - and other groups
under-represented in the workforce getting the skills they need to get ahead -
which is absolutely vital as grow our workforce.
"We're doing everything we can to
train a pipeline of workers that will help fill jobs for many years to come."
