Master Builders Australia welcomes Labor’s announcementof a National Inquiry into the Post-Secondary Education by the Hon Tanya PlibersekMP, Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon Doug CameronShadow Minister for Skills, TAFE and Apprenticeships and Terri Butler MP theShadow Minister for Universities.
"Master Builders has consistently called for areview of the system to ensure it can provide young people with the skills theyneed and that employers want," Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australiasaid.
"This is especially important to our industry whichis the nation’s second largest and trains more than half of the total number ofapprentices in Australia. That’s more than 50,000 young people each year, everyyear," she said.
"The equal focus on the VET sector with universityeducation in Labor’s proposed inquiry is particularly important. For too longvocational education that leads to careers in industries like ours has beenperceived as the ‘poor cousin’ of a university degree," Denita Wawn said.
"This must change so the education system betterinforms young people about the range of rewarding career choices in industrieslike building and construction," she said.
"Recent jobsvacancy data shows the number of good, secure jobs continues to increase in thebuilding and construction industry and we need more young people, their parentsand teachers to give vocational education greater consideration," Denita Wawnsaid. ---
