Queensland and Victoria deserve a fair deal for training

Australian’s deserve a fair deal from the Federal Government when it comes to skills funding.

Queensland Minister for Training and Skills Development Shannon Fentiman said Queensland had rejected the latest national partnership offer from Canberra.

“Queensland and Victoria have turned down the agreement because it would not deliver guaranteed funding for apprentices and trainees,” Ms Fentiman said.

“Queensland is bucking the national trend in the numbers of apprentice and trainee commencements, despite in 2017/2018 having a cut in federal funding of $70 million.

“This deal short changes Queensland.

“There’s no guarantee of funding from year to year from the Commonwealth.

“They expected Queensland to put our money in and rely on them raising funds from a levy on visas to contribute theirs.

“Based on our recent experience of a $770 million cut, we couldn’t trust that the money would be guaranteed for as long as it takes to complete an apprenticeship.

“That’s not a genuine partnership.

“We have invested record funding in training- more than $70 million and we want to work with the Commonwealth.

“But we won’t sign up for a deal that is bad for Queensland.”

Victorian Minister for Training and Skills Gayle Tierney said her government remains committed to ensuring Victorians can get a fair deal.

“Instead of negotiating a better deal, Michaelia Cash is denying funding to Victorian apprentices and trying to rush through an agreement that will take us back to the days of dodgy providers and tick-and-flick training,” Ms Tierney said.

“We are happy to negotiate an agreement that is in the interest of all its signatories but we will not be coerced into signing a National Partnership that is not in Victoria’s interests.”

Minister Fentiman and Minister Tierney remain committed to working with the Federal Government on other projects that will deliver for Queensland and Victoria and are continuing to discuss with Minister Cash.

“The agreement attempts to exercise unprecedented control over Queensland and Victoria’s training budget and without funding certainty it shifts an unacceptable level of risk to our taxpayers,” Ms Fentiman said.

ENDS

Media Contact:          Inga Williams              0439 949 719 (Minister Fentiman)

                                  Jamila Fontana           0409 741 279 (Minister Tierney)