Radio interview with Murray Jones - 4CA Cairns Breakfast

MURRAY JONES, HOST: Well, engaging our youth and making sure employers right across the country have got the right skills to basically fill positions that they need, it’s essential moving forward. And I noticed just in the last week or so, on Friday, the Queensland Minister for Training, Ros Bates, claimed that the Federal Government plans to cut Free TAFE funding for Queensland. It’s been in place for about three years, and I think it’s done remarkably well in engaging youth and of course filling some of those holes. So I would like to get to the bottom of this, because it is a concern if what Ros Bates has said just in the last couple of days is correct. Joining me this morning, we’ve got the Federal Minister for Skills and Training, it’s Andrew Giles. Good morning, Andrew. How are you today?

ANDREW GILES, MINISTER FOR SKILLS AND TRAINING: Look, I'm great, although it's a bit brisk here in Canberra, Murray, so I'm thinking about where you are a bit jealously.

JONES: We've got about 22 degrees. How many degrees did you have this morning, Andrew?

GILES: A bit less than two, I think.

JONES: Is that right?

GILES: So we're a way apart.

JONES: Look it is a concern moving forward because not just engaging youth and getting them involved in their future and, of course, the future of the country, when it comes to so many employers that actually require and need people that are skilled to fill roles, to continue to do what they do. It is a concern what Ros Bates has said just in the last couple of days about the Federal Government planning to cut Free TAFE funding to Queensland. What's your response to these rumours that have been going around, Andrew?

GILES: Let me be absolutely clear with you and your listeners. The Albanese Government is not cutting Free TAFE. It was the Albanese Government that delivered Free TAFE. It was the Albanese Government last year who legislated to make Free TAFE permanent, and we're absolutely committed to seeing more Queenslanders going to TAFE and making the most of Free TAFE today and well into the future, building on the 130,000 Queensland enrolments we've already had. This is something that we are absolutely committed to and, of course, this is something that we work through with every state and territory.

Now, what Queensland says is a matter for them, but I want to be really clear. Our proposal lifts funding for Free TAFE in Queensland from $85 million over three years to $188 million over five years. That's delivering more money to train Queenslanders through Free TAFE. I can't be clearer than that. Now, what the Queensland Government is doing is a matter for them. I'm frankly perplexed. If you're involved in a negotiation and you want a little bit more, by and large, you have a conversation. There are great bureaucrats in Queensland. There are great bureaucrats in my department in the Commonwealth. That's how these things should be played out in a mature and considered way. I don't understand why the Queensland Government's doing what they're doing, but fundamentally the point is this: we are offering Queensland more money for Free TAFE.

JONES: And sadly, as we see so often in this world, these things often get politicised. But let's talk about the facts. I mean, particularly in areas when it comes to nursing, home care – you know, we've got an ageing population here in Australia, and even immigration plays a really important role in that, but we'll come to that in a couple of minutes' time. But also construction, and I believe they're the areas that the Free TAFE is really focusing on.

GILES: Definitely, and I should say that with construction, we've also got a great story to tell about our Key Apprenticeship Program, which has been really taken up by young Queenslanders and some not-so-young Queenslanders too. But what we've seen in Queensland is not just the numbers, not just the 130,000 enrolments. It's really important to emphasise that these are all in courses where we need jobs done. So in nursing, in the care sector, in technology too, increasingly, Murray, but also in construction and manufacturing – these are the areas that we're opening the door of opportunity to young Queenslanders and some older Queenslanders too so they can get skills that they want to do those jobs that we need doing.

JONES: If we can come back to that immigration issue, and I know there's stuff actually that's in the Cairns Post and has been regularly over the last couple of days about basically cutting immigration to zero. Not only are we talking about training and skilling up our young people, we need immigration and we need to have a conversation, and we've got to make sure it's the right type of immigration to fill so many roles that are required economically here in Australia.

GILES: I mean, there's probably two big points that I need to make here. Firstly is that the Albanese Government is bringing our net overseas migration down by 45 per cent from that post-pandemic catch-up high. The second point is we've really sharpened our focus on the skilled migration program, and it is really important as you say. A majority of GPs in Australia were born overseas. Large numbers of our construction workforce and nursing workforce too – these are people who play really critical roles. So what we've been focused on as a government, we made some announcements in the current budget too, is to make sure that we are really focusing that impact on meeting those skills challenges that we have right here and now, while at the same time making sure that we're building that pathway for young Australians, for young Queenslanders, to get skills too. So the skilled migration and our domestic training system are working together, not pulling in opposite directions, which was the case in the past.

JONES: Interesting story came up just the other day about somebody who works in the aged care sector. And even though he recognised the importance of having immigration and having people there to assist in some of those roles, particularly looking after the elderly. And as we said, we've got an ageing population, something needs to be done. Having English as a first language was something that certainly came up for them as a bit of a challenge for some of the older people if they were dealing with people that didn't have English as a first language. There possibly needs to be a bit of a focus in that direction as well.

GILES: Definitely, our program does obviously require an appropriate standard of English, which is critically important. If you think about older Australians, I'm very conscious of the Royal Commission that handed down that one word finding about our aged care system under the former government, ‘neglect’. Older Australians who've contributed to our communities all their lives deserve dignity in their later years, and obviously a big part of that is having a workforce that can support older people. Being able to effectively communicate with them is absolutely fundamental to providing that role. That's true whether or not someone was born here or whether someone's come here as a migrant.

JONES: And I think that's – one of those key things is getting the combination right. Getting down to a position where we've got zero immigration is not going to bode well for the country moving forward. I'll let you get out there and warm up things because I should imagine you had a pretty cold start to the day. But great to talk to you this morning, and particularly in relation to some confirmation in relation to Free TAFE. So important for Queenslanders, young Queenslanders and employers as well. Andrew Giles is the Minister for Skills and Training. Have a great day, and thank you so much for your time this morning.

GILES: Thanks very much, Murray. Always a pleasure.