Shadow Assistant Minister for Education and Higher Education Amanda Rishworth has moved a Private Members’ Motion in the House of Representatives calling on Tony Abbott to honour the Government’s commitment to continue support for existing Trade Training Centres.
The Opposition’s call comes in response to Tony Abbott’s decision to decommission the Trade Training Centre program with a $950 million cut, the equivalent of 650 new Trade Training Centres. The cut would see seven schools in the Gosford LGA, including Gosford High School, Kincumber High School, Narara Valley High School, Terrigal High School, Central Coast Adventist School, Green Point Christian College and St Philip’s Christian College in Gosford, miss out on the opportunity to have a Trade Training Centre. Senator for NSW Deborah O’Neill said with NSW facing trade skills shortages, and the announcement recently that Australia’s youth unemployment rate has risen to 14%, its highest level since 2001, the Abbott Government’s decision to cancel all future Trade Training Centres is clearly counterproductive. “Young people need skills and work experience to get good jobs, particularly in regional areas like Wyong and Gosford, and Trade Training Centres mean high school students get to do just that,” said Senator O’Neill. “By denying the students of the Central Coast these opportunities, the Abbott Government will just make youth unemployment worse, and deprive our young people of a fair shot at getting a job. “Where are the Liberal Members for Robertson and Dobell today? “They wring their hands when they are speaking with locals on the Coast about youth unemployment but they come to Canberra and cut Youth Connections, and now $950 million from Trades Training Centres. “The decision to cancel all future Trade Training Centres comes at the same time as the Abbott Government is pressing ahead with extraordinary and punitive attacks on young people which will make it harder for the next generation to grow their skills, get work and build Australia’s future. “Trade Training Centres play an incredibly important role in introducing young people to vocational education at school and assisting them to achieve a vocational education and training (VET) qualifi cation,” said Senator O’Neill.
Media release, 1 Dec 2014
Richard Mehrtens, Office of
Deborah O’Neill