TAFEs across Australia handed a $50m 'technology fund'

TAFEs across Australia are set to benefit from a new $50 million ‘TAFE technology fund’ that will run for two years.

File photo: TAFE NSW Sydney.

The vocational education and training providers will be able to use the fund “to modernise IT infrastructure, workshops, laboratories, telehealth simulators, and other facilities,” the government said in its budget papers.

In a separate budget paper, the government noted the technology fund is part of a larger $921.7 million package unveiled over the weekend that aims to create fee-free places at TAFEs Australia-wide.

The technology fund was not discussed in the weekend announcement, nor was another technology project that will also be funded through the package: a $6.8 million investment “to improve critical data infrastructure”.

The weekend announcement did, however, point to funding of more university places as well as fee-free places at TAFE.

Of the new university places being created, 2275 out of 20,000 are in IT-related fields.

Minister for Education Jason Clare said in a statement that the budget “invests in better education for all Australians”.

“We know that nine out of 10 jobs in the future will require tertiary qualifications,” he said.

“That’s why what we do in our schools, TAFEs and universities matters.”

Australian Education Union (AEU) federal president Correna Haythorpe said it was “refreshing to see TAFE made the key priority in today's budget after over a decade of cuts.”

But she added there is a “need to secure the future of TAFE with renewed infrastructure, new and improved workforce and policy settings.”