Cheaper Child Care:

The Albanese Government’s Cheaper Child Care policy is delivering cost of living relief for around 8,000 local families by cutting out-of-pocket costs. 

The latest data shows that average out-of-pocket costs decreased by more than 13 per cent from the June quarter 2023 to the June quarter 2024 – following the policy coming into effect. 

Since Cheaper Child Care came into place, average out-of-pocket costs dropped from $4.22 an hour in the June quarter 2023 to $3.66 an hour in the June quarter 2024. 

Additionally, average out-of-pocket costs in the June quarter 2024 remain lower than when the Child Care Subsidy was first introduced in 2018. 

We’ve also passed the 3-day guarantee legislation which abolishes the activity test to ensure all parents can access a minimum of three subsidised days regardless of how much they work or study. 

 

Record School Funding Boost:

Our new school funding agreement will see an estimated $2.5 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to Victorian public schools over the next 10 years. 

This represents the biggest new investment in Victorian public schools by the Australian Government – ever. 

This includes more individualised support for students, mandating evidence-based teaching practices and more mental health support in schools. 

 

This is not a blank cheque. The Agreement will be followed by a Victorian Bilateral Agreement, which will tie funding to reforms already being delivered in Victorian schools that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school, such as:  

  • A Year 1 phonics check commencing this year and an early years numeracy check to identify students in the early years of school who need additional help 
  • Continue the nation-leading investment in initiatives that support wellbeing for learning – including access to mental health professionals in schools 
  • Access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning 
  • Initiatives that improve the attraction and retention of teachers. 

In addition, the following national targets will be included:  

  • Increasing the proportion of students leaving school with a Year 12 certificate by 7.5 percentage points (nationally) by 2030 
  • Reducing the proportion of students in the NAPLAN ‘Needs Additional Support’ proficiency level for reading and numeracy nationally by 10 per cent. 
  • Increasing the proportion of students in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels for reading and numeracy by 10 per cent by 2030 and trending upwards for priority equity cohorts in the ‘Strong’ and ‘Exceeding’ proficiency levels nationally. 
  • Increasing the Student Attendance Rate nationally to 91.4 per cent (2019 level) by 2030. 
  • Increasing the engagement rate (completed or still enrolled) of initial teacher education students by 10 percentage points to 69.7 per cent by 2035. 

This means more help for students and more support for teachers. 

 

Expanding the Opportunities for Locals to Go to University: 

The Government is setting a national target of 80 per cent of the workforce having a tertiary qualification by 2050. 

If the broader Accord targets were achieved, around $240 billion in additional income would be added to the economy over the period to 2050. 

The Government is taking steps towards getting there by responding to 29 of the 47 Australian Universities Accord recommendations in full or in part. 

These reforms will make the HELP system fairer, deliver cost of living relief for students, support more Australians to attend university and make structural reforms to our tertiary education system. 

This ambitious approach will help to ensure that we build the skills we need for a future made in Australia, where no one is held back and no one is left behind. 

 

Free TAFE:

Whether it’s carpenters or chefs, plumbers or bricklayers – Australia needs more skilled workers. 

The Albanese Labor Government is making Free TAFE permanent – nationwide. 

This will deliver cost of living support to more Australians to get the skills they want for the jobs we need. This builds on the 600,000 enrolments in Free TAFE so far, including 3,426 locals in Lalor.  

With Free TAFE, a student can save up to $15,000 in student fees, depending on the course. 

 

A student studying: 

  • a Diploma of Nursing can save up to an estimated $17,150. 
  • a Certificate IV in Cyber Security can save up to an estimated $4,107.92. 
  • a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment can save up to an estimated $5,368. 
  • a Certificate IV in Accounting and Bookkeeping can save up to an estimated $3,597. 
  • a Diploma in Community Services can save up to $9,257. 

 

Free TAFE will boost Australia’s workforce by training more tradies and construction workers to build more homes, and more nurses and healthcare workers to look after our loved ones. 

Free TAFE will provide more opportunities for people in Lalor to gain skills and get ahead, while saving money. 

This is what Labor Governments do. We help people under pressure, and we build for the future.  

Only a re-elected Labor Government will make sure Free TAFE is here to stay.