Tafe funding and the education targets

This paper discusses recent trends in public funding for VET and TAFE and the implications for future funding of government targets to improve the skills of the Australian population. The paper is motivated by the apparent increase in VET provision implied by government educational attainment targets in the context of stable or declining funding for VET and the conclusion that funding needs to increase if the targets are to be met. The topics canvassed include: The decline in funding levels for public VET; The government targets for increased levels of educational attainment in the population and the workforce; Increased demand for the different types of educational qualifications; and The implications for future funding for VET. Prepared by Michael Long, Monash University -ACER, Centre for the Economics of Education and Training for the Australian Education Union