EDUCATION – TRADE SCHOOLS

There have been many decisions of governments that have moved much of the manufacturing industries overseas and we believe that this was a wrong decision. One of the consequences of this decision to move manufacturing offshore is that the trade schools have declined and this needs to be reversed and as soon as possible.

Policies:

• Funding for trade schools must increase so that we can begin to have the qualified people to re-establish our manufacturing industries in Australia again.

• There are private schools teaching various trades or skills and as some of these have demonstrated serious issues where the students are used to work for free at certain places we will require the training of skills not be a source of free labour to any industry and so we will introduce a minimum training wage.

• Trade schools and skills training schools will produce graduates that are job ready.

• Long term unemployed will be assessed as to whether it is wise for them to utilize either a trade or a skills training school to gain employment.

• Ideally the trade schools and the skills training schools should be under the authority of the various State Governments for ease of management.