Skills Minister John Barilaro’s announcement of the private tenders for training and employment placement is cold comfort for young regional people facing the mounting costs of vocational education and training and massive cuts in Federal government support, says NSW Greens MP David Shoebridge.
While the state government has pledged $8 million to be delivered through private organisations to help young people in the regions access education and employment, its disastrous VET privatisation program has led to a 77% increase in tuition fees from 2013-2014 in inner regional areas such as the Northern Rivers and Mid-North Coast. In addition, basic literacy, numeracy and jobseeking courses have gone up in price over 64% over the same period.
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