Federal Election Watch: Tertiary

With Australians set to head to the polls in a number of weeks, the election campaigns of both the Liberal and Labor parties are at a fever pitch. A number of issues, ranging from housing affordability and immigration to climate change policy, have already emerged as key points in this year’s federal election. 

As both of Australia’s major political parties relentlessly promote their promises online and in the media, it can be difficult to distinguish which policies will have an effect upon you. Vocational and higher education tend to emerge as drawing cards in many election campaigns, and it is important to know how the pledges from each party will affect your future at university or TAFE. 

Whether you have already decided who will be receiving the first preference on your ballot paper, or you are still grappling with where to cast your vote, our guide to both Liberal and Labor’s vocational and higher education pledges may inform your choice.

Liberal

• $17.7 billion in funding for Australian universities to help improve student outcomes 
• $400 million fund to support students from rural and regional areas who attend university 
• Grants to establish partnerships between schools, tertiary providers and employers to help develop future job skills among the next generation of Australian students 
• Establishing the Skilling Australians Fund to create a further 80,000 apprenticeships in professions with skills shortages over the next four years.

Labor

• Creating a National Inquiry into Post-Secondary Education to ensure students are necessary support from the vocational and higher education systems 
• $174 million towards the University Pathway Fund to boost opportunities for university study in communities where graduation rates are low 
• Uncapping university places to allow an extra 200,000 Australians to access higher education system 
• Fee-free TAFE for up to 100,000 students nationwide in courses that lead to jobs with skill shortages.