Builders welcome commitment to post-secondary education inquiry

Master Builders Australia welcomes Labor’s announcement of a National Inquiry into the Post-Secondary Education by the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, Shadow Minister for Education and Training, Senator the Hon Doug Cameron Shadow Minister for Skills, TAFE and Apprenticeships and Terri Butler MP the Shadow Minister for Universities.

“Master Builders has consistently called for a review of the system to ensure it can provide young people with the skills they need and that employers want,” Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said.

“This is especially important to our industry which is the nation’s second largest and trains more than half of the total number of apprentices in Australia. That’s more than 50,000 young people each year, every year,” she said.

“The equal focus on the VET sector with university education in Labor’s proposed inquiry is particularly important. For too long vocational education that leads to careers in industries like ours has been perceived as the ‘poor cousin’ of a university degree,” Denita Wawn said.

“This must change so the education system better informs young people about the range of rewarding career choices in industries like building and construction,” she said.

“Recent jobs vacancy data shows the number of good, secure jobs continues to increase in the building and construction industry and we need more young people, their parents and teachers to give vocational education greater consideration,” Denita Wawn said.